Another Chance
by Cordis Fiere
Summary: My life was normal, until the day I met Him. Prequel to Death Note series. LxOC. Story of a young woman who is swept up into the world of a detective. Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Change of Plans

My life was normal, if you could call it that, until the day I met Him.

It happened on just another day at Wammy's House. I was doing what I usually do, trying to teach a young Near how to read. Though this is Near we're talking about, no simple picture books for him, so we were reading sections of War and Peace. I had him read the next paragraph which he did, all the while stroking a piece of his hair between two fingers. His intelligence was phenomenal, to be casually reading a book of such difficulty. . . It still amazed me. You would think that after spending nearly two years at the orphanage I would become accustomed to the prodigy, but that was not the case.

I convinced myself that the day that I began to see their fantastic progress as mundane would be the day that I would stop caring. I could never let myself become apathetic, especially since my charge would one day change the world.

It was a job that I knew many would have turned down at the word _orphanage_. In my case it was in my blood. My mother worked at Wammy's through my childhood. She was a faithful employee and worked under Watari himself. At first I had not even considered following in her footsteps but that all changed on one fateful day.

My mother and father were killed by an egocentric serial killer two years ago. At the time I was in the United States working with the FBI. When I got the news I was heartbroken. I was considered one of the best detectives in the FBI at the time. Many had high hopes for me and were certain that I would quickly climb through the ranks. This, however, was why I was furious with myself. I had the investigative ability, yet I could not save those closest to me. I became angry with myself and everyone around me. I hated the world and believed there was no longer a reason for me to live.

I nearly took my own life when it was announced that L was on the case. Within two months L wrapped up the case and brought the murderer to justice. From that day on I felt personally indebted to the mysterious detective. I felt that I had to do something to thank him, so I took a job at Wammy's to continue his legacy.

I've been here ever since.

"Miss Haruka," Near said, bringing me out of my memories, "Miss Haruka, can I have my robot?"

"Of course Near." I replied as I rose. I adjusted my knee-length skirt and walked over to a shelf filled with Near's favorite toys. I picked up the red painted robot in question and walked back to my young charge. I kneeled down, handed it to him and stroked his pure white hair. He always felt like the little brother I never had.

I walked over to the window and gazed upon the well manicured lawn of Wammy's. Rain gently tapped against the glass as if saying hello. The vast grounds spread before me. Wammy's was a 20 acre estate which had its' own forest and a small lake. The forest lay to the west with sweeping fields filled with trees, gazebos and benches. It was a perfect place for an afternoon stroll. Indeed, I often took Near for walks whenever there wasn't too much work to be done.

Once again, I drew my mind back from my personal memories. My mind had been wandering a lot lately.

I turned my gaze from the window and saw that Near had constructed a two foot structure out of his wooden blocks.

"Well done Near! It looks great!" I smiled at him warmly. Some of the other caretakers saw his habit as troublesome; I however, knew it was just his way of clearing his head. Like pacing or twirling a pen is for some people.

"Do you want to put the last one on?" He asked, his eyes shinning.

"I'd love to." I replied brushing my dark brown bangs from my eyes. I sat next to him and took the final block and put it on the peak of the tower.

"Ready?" Near asked, the excitement and anticipation showing in his youthful eyes.

"Ready."

"Go!" He shouted and we simultaneously charged at the tower, which caused the blocks to cascade down onto the floor and onto us. Near didn't laugh, but instead smiled at his success. Near never laughed.

Our amusement was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in." I said. I was expecting Carol, the woman who picks up the laundry, but was surprised to see a man in the doorway. In spite of his white hair, mustache, and wrinkles his eyes were full of life.

"Haruka Takahashi?"

"Yes?"

"I'll need you to come with me. Mr. Watari wants to see you." He said in a strong but polite manner.

I rose silently and gave one last glance to Near.

"I'll be back soon." I smiled and gently stroked his hair then walked out of the room. I didn't know at the time, but that was the last I saw of him for quite some time.

I followed closely behind the man who called me. _Did I do something wrong? _There were certain women who worked at Wammy's who disagreed with my behavior around Near. _No that can't be it,_ I thought as I quickly gave myself one look over in a mirror we passed. Everything seemed to be in order. My straight, dark chocolate brown hair was neatly pulled back in a ponytail at the base of my neck. I had some light make-up on and my uniform seemed to be orderly as well. It consisted of a black pinstripe pencil skirt, a white button up shirt and a black vest on top. The vest had a silver trim and had a pin with the crest for Wammy's on the lapel. _If I didn't do anything wrong then why are they calling me in? _Mr. Watari, of all the people they had to send me to, why him? What did I do that was so bad that I have to see the founder of Wammy's? I was quickly getting nervous and could feel myself beginning to perspire. _No, I need to focus. Calm down. Use your FBI training. I've been in worse situations than this. If I'm not calm I'll just end up looking like an idiot. Besides it could be worse, I mean come on, it's not like you're meeting L or anything like that. Yeah, at least I don't have to explain myself to Him._

"Here we are." The man with the white hair said, gesturing to an ornately carved door with a large handle.

"He's waiting for you. Go ahead and knock." I cautiously walked up to the door and knocked twice.

"Come in." A voice replied from inside the room. Definitely a man's voice. _Well it's now or never, _I swallowed hard and turned the handle.

I walked in and saw before me. . . absolutely nothing. The lights were off and it took my eyes a few seconds to adjust to the light, or the lack thereof. When I could see, there wasn't much to see. I could make out a few bookshelves on my left and right, though that wasn't what I was focused on. Before me was a large and very expensive looking antique desk with two chairs in front of it. Behind the desk there was a large black leather office chair. Unfortunately I could not see who was sitting in it. The person who was sitting in it was turned around and looking out the window behind the desk.

I started to get nervous again. _No, you need to focus._

"Please have a seat." The man who I assumed was Watari said. I slowly walked over to two chairs that were in front of the desk and sat down in one of them.

"You're probably wondering what this is about, well I'll be brief," Watari started. _This is weird, he doesn't sound like I thought he would. Watari established this orphanage quite a few years ago, yet this man sounds very young._ His voice was smooth and dark and seemed to fill the whole room though he was speaking quietly.

"Frankly put, we would like your help on a case we're about to start in Cannes, France." There was a flash of light and a subsequent crack of thunder.

"Sir?"

"We'll be leaving soon and I'm afraid we may be short staffed."

"But sir, what about Near?"

"After having looked at your file, I think you will be the best suited to help us." Watari went on clearly disregarding my concerns.

"You history with the FBI would make you a valuable asset. After all you were the youngest person to ever be accepted into the bureau. At age 16, truly impressive."

I was shocked. What was this about? I simply stared at the back of Watari's chair, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm offering you a chance. A chance to get away from Wammy's for what may be a long time, a chance to see how your life could have been."

"But sir, I have to help Near. It's the only way. . ." I stopped, my voice trailing off.

"The only way. . . what?"

I was too embarassed to continue and looked down at my feet.

"You feel indebted to him." He stated.

"Yes." _Where is this going?_ I looked away for a moment.

"I see. What if I offered you a way to help him directly? Would you do it?"

"Sir?"

"Would you?" He asked, his tone persistant.

"Absolutely."

"Good, because I have something to tell you. Please turn on the lights." I was a bit startled by the sudden request, scratch that, order, but I walked towards the door and flipped the switch on the wall. I was temporarily blinded by the sudden light and quickly shut my eyes. I opened my eyes and turned my head to the desk.

"I am L."

I stood speechless, mouth agape before the man who calmly claimed to be the detective I idealized. _There's no way. . ._ I thought but the more I looked at him the more I saw the truth. The man was sitting, not in the chair, but on it, in a squatting position with his hands on his knees. His messy black hair sticking out this way and that, his clothes a simple white shirt and jeans. What really convinced me though, were his eyes. A piercing set of pools of onyx. His eyes seemed extremely sharp, very much like Near's, no, better. Nothing could be hidden from his dark circle rimmed gaze.

I froze unable to move or to say the two words I had wanted to say for two years: thank you. _Damn! I probably looked like an idiot to him just now. Saying how much I admired him. I am so stupid!_ I blushed in embarrassment. I tried to look away, but I couldn't. My eyes were drawn to his eyes as dark as night.

"As I said before, we could really use your help on an investigation. It could take several months. During that time we will provide room and board for you and also pay you twice your regular salary. So what do you say?"

"When do we leave?" I asked. I thought I saw the faintest trace of a smile appear on L's lips but I may have been mistaken.

"Are you sure?"

"You looked over my file. There's nothing for me here. I have no family, just a friend, but I can get past that. I have to do this."

"Very good. We leave tomorrow morning. I will ask you to stay here for the night; you can stay in one of the guest bedrooms so that you can take some time to review the file for the case." L said handing me a file.

"Right."

"Also, call your friend and tell her you'll be going on a long business trip and that you're not sure how long it will take. Once we get settled in France you can call her again."

"Okay." _Hmm. I don't recall saying she was a girl. He has done his homework. Why should I expect any less?_

"That will be all." L finished all the while staring into my dark blue eyes. I froze and the moment seemed to go on for eternity. Finally I regained use of my legs and started for the door file in hand.

When I reached the door I turned and looked at L, my eyes filled with determination, "Thank you, L, for the opportunity. I won't let you down. I promise." With that I exited the room and the man with the white hair, who I then learned was Watari, led me to a guest bedroom. For the rest of the night I poured over the file, not letting anything slip by me. This was my chance, and I wasn't about to blow it.

**L's P.O.V.**

I waited in Watari's office while he went to get the woman in question, Haruka Takahashi. While I had to admit I was not thrilled about having to take someone else on the case I realized it was neccessary. I had been on the case for two months and the killer had been at large for another four. I decided the crimes had gone on for long enough and thought it might be good to get some help. I too had to admit that Miss Takahashi was the best choice. She had few distractions. She was 20 and single, without any family with only one friend, Amelia Williams, a local. Her FBI training was also a valuable asset which I could not ignore.

I turned the chair I was sitting in around to face the window. I certainly did not want her to see me as soon as she walked in the door, hence the lack of light. I was fairly sure she would leap at the offer, but decided not to turn around until I was sure. I sighed as I sat in my usual position, hunched over, with my hands on my knees. _How long has it been since I had dessert last? Ten minutes? Twenty? _I sighed again and decided it would be best to wrap this up quick.

There was a knock on the door right on que.

"Come in," I responded, still looking out the window onto the estate grounds and saw that it was still raining. I enjoy it when it rains like that. When the rain pours so hard it hurts, and the thunder is so forcefull you feel the earth is going to crack open and swallow you whole.

"Please have a seat." I heard Miss Takahashi sit in a chair behind me.

"You're probably wondering what this is about, well I'll be brief," I started and decided to be as blunt as possible. "Frankly put, we would like your help on a case we're about to start in Cannes, France." She sounded truly surprised. As our conversation continued her only thought was of Near.

"You history with the FBI would make you a valuable asset. After all you were the youngest person to ever be accepted into the bureau. At age 16, truly impressive. I'm offering you a chance. A chance to get away from Wammy's for what may be a long time. A chance to see how your life could have been."_ Why is she so passionate?_

"But sir, I have to help Near. It's the only way. . ." She stopped in mid sentence, possibly out of embarassment.

"The only way. . . what?" I asked choosing to pry a bit.

"You feel indebted to him." I stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes." I gave her an offer I was sure she couldn't refuse. The chance to help L directly. As expected she said she would help.

"Good, because I have something to tell you. Please turn on the lights" _Time for the moment of truth._ I quickly turned the chair around as she turned on the lights and looked my way.

"I am L." I said simply. I had my first look at the former FBI agent. Her old photo served her no justice. She was of average height with an athletic build, yet managed to have curves in all the right places. My eye went up to her face, trully stunning. A spotless face with medium complextion, with skin that looked as smooth as satin. Her straight dark brown har fraiming her face beautifully. Her eyes were her dominate feature. Large pools of dark saphires which seemed to be endless. _Hmm. This will be interesting. _She continued to look at me. I decided to break the ice.

"As I said before, we could really use your help on an investigation. It could take several months. During that time we will provide room and board for you and also pay you twice your regular salary. So what do you say?"

"When do we leave?" _Just as planned. _I asked her if she was sure and she continued by saying she felt she had to do this. I agreed, told her we would be leaving the next morning and handed her the case file. All the while her eyes grew brighter and brighter with determination and hope.

"That will be all."

She silently rose out of her seat and headed for the door. When she reached it she turned around and said, "Thank you, L, for the opportunity. I won't let you down. I promise." With that she walked out._ Very interesting indeed, _I thought and couldn't help but smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters.**

This chapter kinda sucks but oh well.

Chapter 2: Quirks

As I lay on my stomache on the king size bed that night my mind was drawn to two things: the case and Near. I wondered what would happen to him. Would he be reassigned? Would he hate me for leaving? _I can't think about this now! I have to focus. This is what I've been waiting for._ I decided I would keep my promise to Near and see him again as soon as possible and drew my mind back to the case.

I reviewed everything at least five times. Crime scene photos, police reports, as well as doing my own personal research on the area in which the crimes took place. It was exhausting, and I was tempted more than once to stop and rest, but one look at the crime scene photos and my zeal was back.

At four in the morning there was a knock at the door. I quickly put the file back in order, put on my shoes, and got off the bed. I walked over to the door and answered it. It was Watari.

"Good morning Miss Takahashi."

"Good morning Watari."

"We're getting ready to leave now. Are you ready to go?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then come with me." Once again I followed closely behind the man I now knew as the founder. We made our way to a part of the estate that I had never been to. Down a dark corridor and entered a service elevator. We stood in the elevator in silence as it took us down several floors. When the elevator stopped Watari opened the door and I saw that we were in what appeared to be an underground parking garage. Directly in front of the elevator was a large black luxury vehicle with tinted windows. Watari walked up to the car and opened the door for me and I silently slipped in. He closed the door and got into the driver's seat.

"Thank you for being ready to go on such short notice." The voice startled me and I jumped. I turned to see L with a look of amusement in his eyes. I glared at him, which only seemed to amuse him and annoy me more.

"Did you get any sleep?" He asked me.

"No." I replied. I felt really awkward around the enigmatic figure, completely unsure of what to say so I looked away.

"I would like to tell you that you'll be able to rest during the flight, but I can't guarantee it." The ignition was turned on and the car started to pull forward.

"We're going to my private hanger outside of Manchester where we'll take a jet." I nodded, still unable to look at him. Instead I stared out the window watching the countryside pass us by.

"We'll be staying in a building I had built recently. You will have your own floor for privacy." He paused. _My own FLOOR how big is this place? _"Oh and don't worry about clothing, your closet has already been furnished."

"I'm sorry you had to go to so much trouble." I said and glanced back at him.

"It's not a problem." He replied and tilted his head to get a better look at me.

"You know, I picked you because I know you're fully qualified to work this case." I looked at him, sitting again in his peculiar position, though his words were blunt, somehow I found some comfort in them. _I have to do my best to live up to my promise. _I felt myself becoming more and more comfortable in his presence with every passing moment. I gave him a smile and nodded.

"You're right."

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced. I am the detective known as L. Though for security reasons I will ask that you refer to me as Ryuzaki."

"I understand. My name is Haruka Takahashi."

"Nice to meet you Miss Takahshi."

"Likewise, but please, call me Haruka."

"Alright. Now if it's alright with you I would like to discuss the case."

"Yes it's fine."

"But first. . ." I saw his eyes moving in the direction of the mini-fridge in the corner. "Could you grab me a dish out of there?"

"Of course." I got on my knees and shuffled over to the small fridge. I opened the door and to my amazement saw it was filled to the brim with dishes, each with a different dessert on them.

"Any one in particular?" I asked.

"No, any one will do." Ryuzaki replied. I grabbed the closest one, a triple layer chocolate cake with what appeared to be white chocolate macadamia nut filling with chocolate frosting. Truly sinful. I grabbed a fork and a napkin as well, shuffled back to my seat and handed him the plate. His eyes filled with pleasure. He took the fork, placed a piece of the cake in his mouth and closed his eyes. _That's a bit strange, well I guess I should be used to things like this after having spent time with Near._

"I'm sorry did you want some? You can get some out of the fridge if you do." He asked, concern present in his eyes.

"No I'm alright." I said nervously.

"You sure?" He asked waving the plate near me.

"Yeah I'm sure. Besides, if I guess correctly then I'm pretty sure you'll have some on your jet as well."

"You are correct." He replied, looking at me playfully over his cake. I smiled. He took another bite and I noticed he had some chocolate frosting on the side of his mouth.

"You have a little bit of frosting, here," I said pointing to the spot.

"Mmm, sorry." He said through a mouthful of chocolate. He tried to wipe off the chocolate with his hand but missed the spot.

"Did I get it?"

"No, just missed it." He tried again, but again, managed to miss the spot.

"Here let me," I said as I grabbed the napkin and moved closer to him. I was used to it. I did the same thing with Near all the time. I sat next to him, my arm brushing against his legs, and gently wiped off the chocolate. When the deed was done I looked at his eyes and froze. He was staring at me again! This time was different though, his eyes dark as night seemed endless and made me curious. They seemed dangerous, and stragely, very appealing. Then he started to lean in closer to me. He inched closer, but stopped, and simply raised his hand to mine, which was still near his face.

"Thank you." He said as he gently held my hand, still gazing into my eyes. I started to blush madly, _Am I imagining things, is he like this all the time? Don't flatter yourself, it's probably not what you think. _I slowly backed away.

"Now, back to business," he said his expression turning serious as he returned to his cake.

**L's P.O.V.**

I waited once again as Watari went to get Miss Takahashi. She was truly an interesting woman. _What is this feeling? Why am I thinking these things? _I rubbed a bare foot against the other and gazed out the window looking at nothing in partiuclar, when the door opened. The sudden noise surprised me, showing just how distracted I was, and I saw Miss Takahashi enter.

I greeted Miss Takahashi though it appeared she hadn't noticed I was in the car and jumped at the sound of my voice. It wasn't my intention to scare her in the least, yet I found the glare she directed in my direction comical. I tried to make some conversation with her, but she just looked out the window.

"I would like to tell you that you'll be able to rest during the flight, but I can't guarantee it." _That all depends on your performance later._ _I need to see if you've done your homework._ I heard the ignition turn on and we slowly pulled out of the garage.

"We're going to my private hanger outside of Manchester where we'll take a jet." Still nothing from her._ Is she going to say anything?_ I quickly grew annoyed with the situation. It was hard enough having to bring someone who I didn't know on the case, now she ignores me making it even more awkward. I wasn't in the best of moods, I hadn't had anything sweet in a while. I continued and explained where we would be staying.

"I'm sorry you had to go to so much trouble." She said and glanced at me. _Finally, wait, she wasn't ignoring me?_

"It's not a problem." I tilted my head a bit, this was not what I had in mind when I thought of an FBI agent.

I tried to break the ice again by explaining that she was fully qualified to be here. She seemed encouraged and smiled warmly. Her smile was very reassuring and for one second it was like the world seemed lighter. _Maybe this will work out after all._

"You're right." She said.

We introduced ourselves and I decided it was time to prioritize. I asked her if she could get me a dessert out of the mini-fridge. She handed a dish to me and sat down. _Excellent choice, that's one of my favorites. _I took a bite out of the cake and closed my eyes, my mind filled with indulgence. _There's nothing better than this._

"I'm sorry did you want some? You can get some out of the fridge if you do." I said remembering I was not alone.

"No I'm alright."

"You sure?" I asked. This was really good cake.

"Besides, if I guess correctly then I'm pretty sure you'll have some on your jet as well."

"You are correct." I replied. I continued to eat while thinking there was much more to this woman than what I could see on the surface. She pulled me out of my thoughts by pointing out I had some frosing on my face. I tried to get the spot but missed twice.

"Here let me." Haruka said and grabbed the napkin. I froze, unsure of what she was going to do. She scooted over to me, her leg bushing against my bare feet as she gently wiped the chocolate away. Her touch was electrifying. I simply stared at her. _No one's done this for me since, actually I don't remember the last time someone made such a gesture for me. Hmm. _She looked up into my eyes and stopped. Those eyes, what was it about them that was so mystifying? I felt my body come closer to hers instinctively. My body took over for a moment as I became intoxicated with the soft scent of roses. _Stop! What do you think you're doing? Snap out of it!_ I stopped and merely raised my hand to hers, which was still raised.

"Thank you." I said, my eyes still on her.

"Now back to business."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: As I'm sure you all know, I don't own Death Note.**

If you came just to read chapter 3 please read the first two chapters again as well. I made a some changes and it sounds much better.

On with the story!

Chapter 3: The Case

"As I'm sure you saw in the file this case involves several murders which have occurred in Cannes. The culprit is still at large and we have very little physical evidence which can tie him to the crime. " he paused to have a bit of cake and said the next bit with the fork still in his mouth, "Tell me, what have you deduced from the file?"

I paused and hoped that my conjecture was correct. _I can do this, just be confident and focus._ I took a deep breath and started.

"The murders all occured in an area of Cannes that is home to some of the richest people on Earth. Though many of the people who live in Cannes are wealthy, it appears only those with a net worth of a Billion dollars or more were targeted. Whoever this person is, they have something against the upper class.

"The murders occured on any given day of the week, but all had two things in common: they occured after 7:00 p.m. and no later than 2:00 a.m and all died by stangulation. This leads me to believe that the killer works a normal 9-5 job. The victims were not limited to a specific gender or race, but all were found in public places in humiliating positions such as on their knees or nude. All of them appeared to be killed in another location and put in a public place soon afterward. Though the victims were placed in public no one seemed to have gotten a good look at the killer. Whoever killed these people took good care not to leave any evidence.

"With this in mind, I think we're looking at some form of organized crime."

"What led you to that conclusion?" Ryuzaki asked suddenly interrupting my monologue, "One person could have easily committed all of these murders."

"Somehow, I find that unlikely. For the past month at least three people are killed every week and sometimes they are killed on three days back to back. I doubt a normal person would have that type of stamina. Then there's also the peice of evidence you hid from me," I paused.

"Well done, you found it." He replied looking at me slyly.

At the time it had really annoyed me and I wondered why Ryuzaki would hide a crucial piece of information, then I realized he was testing me. He wanted to know if I was the type of person who took everything at face value, not questioning anything. _Well now he has his answer_. "I found this out after I did my own search on the Internet in local newspapers. On Thursday January 17 a Walter Preisting was found at 8:35 p.m., five minutes later Sarah Williamson was found, killed in a similar way across town. Logically speaking there is no way that someone can be in two places at once, therefore we are looking at a group of people who are committing these acts.

"The M.E.'s (medical examiner) report further proves my suspicions." I said and pulled out two pictures from the file. "Vittoria Vertacelli and Serena Donota. Both women are exactly 5'8" tall and were strangled with a rope or cord, yet if you'll notice the ligature marks are different. If I strangle someone from behind, depending on my height the marks from the rope will either make a diagonal line going down from the front of the neck to the back, if I am shorter than the person, a straight line if we are the same height, or a diagonal line going up if I'm taller than the person. Both of these women are the same height yet Vittoria has a diagonal line going down and Serena has a diagonal line going up. Therefore we can deduce that at least two people are involved in these murders.

"I suspect that there is one person who's calling the shots. One person who taught them how and who, to kill. They then take turns alternating nights on which they will kill so that they can rest and avoid drawing attention to themselves.

"Basically, I suspect there are at lest four people though not more than seven." I finished and took a deep breath. Ryuzaki merely looked at me. _Don't let him intimidate you. Look him in the eye. _And I did.

"It appears I made the right choice." He said smugly.

"Thank you Sir."

"There's no need to be so formal." He said finishing his cake.

"Yes, Ryuzaki." I replied and smiled.

"It seems we've arrived." He said as the car stopped. Watari came and opened the door. Riuzaki exited first then I stepped out.

What I saw before me truly surprised me, the hanger was enormous, large enough to store several jets. Next to it was a control tower and a large runway. _Wow, this guy's loaded._ I glanced ahead to Ryuzaki who was walking to a white luxury jet, slouching with his hands in his pockets, dressed again in the simple clothes I had seen him in yesterday. _You really wouldn't expect it by looking at him. _He turned around to look at me.

"You coming?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah." _Way to look like an idiot AGAIN. _I quickly caught up with them, my black stilettos clacking on the wet pavement. We boarded the jet and I saw it was very well decorated with a spacious interior. _Once again, very nice._ I took a seat in one of the chairs across the aisle from Ryuzaki.

"By the way, feel free to rest during the flight." Ryuzaki said as he got up and made his way to another mini-fridge.

"You're sure you don't need anything else?" I asked. I was dead tired, but if he needed anything then I suppose I could manage to stay awake for a little while longer.

"No, you actually exceeded my expectations. Go ahead and rest, you deserve it." He got his dessert and sat down.

"Thanks." I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, but was unable to sleep for several minutes. I found myself focused on the events that occurred in the past twelve hours, going over them again and again. _Is this really happening? _I finally felt myself drifting out of consciousness, my mind drifting back to the frosting incident. No one had ever looked at me that way before. _Seriously, you're insane. How delusional can you get? Shut up and go to sleep. _And so, while questioning my very sanity, I fell asleep.

**L's P.O.V.**

_Time for the real test, _I thought and wondered how she would do. Would she fall for the trap? I asked her what she thought of the case from the file I showed her and she started explaining the types of victims who were killed. Then she went on and made the conjecture that whoever was behind this had something against the incredibly wealthy. _Decent, but then again I expected this from you._

Then came the surprise, she thought we were looking at a form of organized crime. _Interesting, but what will you do when I contradict you?_ She stuck to her story and provided some proof that we were looking at more than one killer. Then came the real shock for me. S_he found the missing evidence_? I had expected her to make a decent senario based on who the victims were, but this was very unexpected_. Did I underestimate you? If so, then I think you really will be of use to me_. I was especially intruiged when she pointed out the ligature marks, very impressive.

I let her finish her thoughts on the case uninterrupted. _There really is more to her than what appears at first glance. _

"It appears I made the right choice." I said as she finished. I had to admit she could be very helpful, and I felt the smallest hint of pride, for her and for myself.

"Thank you Sir."

"There's no need to be so formal." I commented.

"Yes, Ryuzaki." She smiled, and once again I started to feel that foreign feeling build up inside me. I convinced myself it was anticipation for the case and dismissed the thought.

We arrived at the hanger which stood on a relatively secluded strip of land. There wasn't anything around the airstrip for at least fifteen miles in every direction. _It's been a while since I've been here_, I thought as I exited the vehicle. I made my way to the jet, but realized Haruka wasn't following me. I turned in her to her and saw she was staring at me. _That's odd. Perhaps I'm not the only one having these strange feelings. . . _

_"_You coming?" I asked and she quickly followed Watari and I as we boarded the jet.

She sat down and I thought about how tired she must have been. This must have been a lot for her to take in along such a short period of time. I told her she could rest during the flight. Not only was she exhausted but she really reviewed the case very well, so there was no reason for her to stay awake. Originally, in the event that she hadn't found the missing piece of evidence, I had planned to use the time on the jet to explain how the case really was. I admitted that she had exceeded my expectations and said she could rest. She seemed relieved as I went to get another dessert from the fridge. When I came back I saw she had already closed her eyes and was attempting to fall asleep. When she finally did I had to admit to myself that she looked very peaceful which only seemed to further emphasize her beauty. Once again I suppressed my feelings, deeming them irrelevant as I started to eat my dessert.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own death note or "Blackbird".**

Finally! I've been wanting to write this chapter for a while now. I didn't do two P.O.V.s in this chapter. It just wouldn't have worked. Hope you guys like it! Enjoy!

**Review or else, damnit!**

Chapter 4: Blackbird

We arrived in Cannes and were driving to the building that Ryuzaki told me about. As I sat in the car I struggled to shake the jet lag that I had since we had landed. I'd never been to Cannes before and I had to admit it was a beautiful city. The jewel of the French riviera. We drove down a busy street passing tourist and millionare alike. I looked out the window, trying to absorb as much as possible. The sun was shining and I could see the Mediterranian from the street, a glowing pool of cerulean which seemed endless. I smiled as I saw lovers walking along the coast, hand in hand.

"Here we are." Ryuzaki said as the car stopped. Watari came to open the door for him and he got out, then I followed suit. When I got out of the car I froze in shock.

"Is something wrong?" Ryuzaki asked me when he noticed I was staring.

"This is the building?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes." My jaw dropped as I looked up and saw before me a building that I guessed was at least ten stories tall, dwarfing everything else around it. The building stood as a shinning silver beacon against the golden shore. _I look like an idiot again, don't I?_

"Nevermind." I said, quickly regaining my composure. We walked into the building and I noticed it had excellent security. I noticed various cameras placed at strategic points. Then we passed through a series of of machines which included a metal detector and fingerprint and retinal scan.

We boarded an elevator which took us to the floor where we would be doing most of our investingations. The space was enormous. On one wall was a large screen made up of smaller screens. Scattered around the room were laptops, televisions and a few chairs and tables. Ryuzaki showed me around the space pointing out important points.

"Watari, could you please show Haruka to her room please? I'm sure you'll want to see it and maybe change into something more comfortable." Ryuzaki said when the tour was completed, while turning on a laptop.

"Yes Ryuzaki. Please come this way." Watari said gesturing back to the main elevator. We went up several more floors and exited the elevator.

"As I'm sure Ryuzaki told you, you will have your own floor for privacy." I nodded as we came to the door where my room was. Watari opened the door and tled me inside. I was astonished. I had expected a bed and closet, but saw before me, what appeared to be an entire suite. The room we entered was not a bedroom, but seemed to be more like a living room. The room was nicely decorated, and though it was still new and strange it still felt welcoming. It had two white couches which faced each other with a dark brown rectangular table between them. There was a soft rug on the floor and lamps on various tables around the room which only made the room feel more homey.

"To your left is your bedroom, and past that is the bathroom" Watari finished.

"Thank you Watari. I think I can take it from here."

"If there's anything else I can do," I nodded and he exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him. I decided to do a little exploring and walked to the door behind which, was my bedroom. I took a deep breath, not knowing what to expect and quickly opened the door. I nearly fainted. The bed was enormous and covered with a down-filled, embroidered ivory colored comforter, with luxurious looking pillows on the backboard. Opposite the bed was a large dresser with a square mirror behind it. On the dresser was another laptop, which I assumed was in case I wanted to work in my room. My eyes went around the room as I saw the windows covered with floor to ceiling see-through curtains, and an armchair with an afghan draped over it.

_Wait a minute_, I thought and practically ran to the closet. It was a large walk-in closet with shelves for shoes and clothes, filled with MY clothes. I was completely shocked, again, as I recognized some of my favorite clothes neatly organized_. Ryuzaki_, I thought and smiled_, you REALLY didn't have to do all this_. I felt so greatful to him, and decided it would be best that I try to pay him back with my work as soon as possible. I grabbed a comfortable pair of jeans and a black Hollister t-shirt and made my way to the bathroom.

"Holy shit!" I cried as I opened the door. I had forgotten how nice everything was when I entered the bathroom it all hit me at once. On one side was a large white counter with an elegant glass sink on top. Underneath the counter there was plenty of room for storage. On the other side of the room was a large walk-in shower, with dark blue ceramic tiles and a rain shower head. I quickly slipped off my clothes and stepped into the shower, deciding to try it as quickly as possible.

When my luxurious shower was complete I opened the steamy door and reached blindly for a towel in a nearby basket. I dried myself off, put on my clothes and walked over to the counter to look at myself in the mirror. I looked through the some of the drawers until I found something to put my hair up and put it up in a messy ponytail. I put some towels on the floor to soak up any extra water and slipped on a pair of red ballet flats. I made my way for the door, took one last look at my new lodgings, and got on the elevator.

"Welcome back." Ryuzaki said as I walked into the investigation room, without turning from his dessert. I sat next to him at a laptop and glanced over to him. He was eating another dessert and drinking a cup of coffee. I felt a pain in my stomache. I suddenly remembered I hadn't eaten in nearly 24 hours. He seemed to have noticed my hunger pains and handed me another plate that he had next to him. It was a plate with a bowl on it filled with chocolate covered strawberries.

"I wasn't sure which you dish you would like," he started.

"Oh, no don't worry about it. I love these!" I said and quickly took a bite out of a strawberry, perhaps a bit too quickly, because Ryuzaki was staring at me. I smiled and started to laugh with the strawberry still in my mouth, which let me tell you, is not an easy thing to do. He smiled as I swallowed and I was finally able to laugh properlly, and he chuckled quietly as well.

I turned my attention to the computer and for the rest of the day Ryuzaki and I did nothing but research.

I decided to stop at around midnight. For the most part my efforts had not been fruitful, that day.

"Ryuzaki," I started as I turned my chair to his, "I think I'm gonna go to sleep. I mean, if it's okay with you."

"Yes it's fine. Good night." He said without looking away from his screen.

"Good night." I replied and rose out of my chair. I walked over to the door then turned around see Ryuzaki again. He was quickly typing something on his computer, his body bathed in a blue-ish light from the screen. _What is it with this guy? I've never met anyone like him. He seems so strange, yet. . ._

"Ryuzaki," he turned his chair to face me. "Thank you. For everything you've done for me. It really means a lot." I finished and slipped into my nervous habit of stroking my left arm with the other hand.

"You're welcome." He replied and we looked at each other from across the room. I turned and exited the room.

I changed into my light blue night gown which came to right above the knee and climbed into my soft blankets which still smelled like fabric softener. I closed my eyes trying to sleep, but couldn't. My mind was tired, but my body was wide awake. I tossed and turned in bed staring at the inside of my eyelids, unable to fall asleep. _Just keep trying. It's bound to work eventually._ I lay there for what felt like ages, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. Strangulation, Near, elevator, Ryuzaki, jet, bedroom, frosting, murder, all of it mixed together until I didn't even know what to think about anything anymore. I finally gave up trying to sleep and looked at the digital clock on the nightstand next to me. 2:15 a.m. I admitted defeat, and climbed out of bed. I put on a robe and went back downstairs in case anyone else was still awake.

I entered the investigation room to see Ryuzaki hunched up on one of the couches in the center of the room. I walked over to the couch and sat next to him.

"Can't sleep?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I haven't slept for four days." I looked at him in shock. "It's usually not this bad, I just haven't been able to sleep no matter how hard I try." He said sadly. I had noticed the dark circles under his eyes, but now that I took a closer look at him, he looked severly fatigued. It seemed that every cell inside of him was begging for sleep, but he just couldn't do it. _I have to help him. _

"I can help you fall asleep, but I need you to do exactly as I say. Alright?"

"You can?" He asked his eyes filled with a glimpse of hope.

"I'll be right back." I rose and left the room.

Five minutes later I was back with a stack of blankets and pillows so high I couldn't see. I cautiously made my way into the room and managed to make it in without walking into anything. I made it to the couch and dropped everything.

"What's this for?" Ryuzaki asked. I ignored him and instead took two blankets, one on top of the other, and laid them on the floor. Then I put a couple of pillows at one end.

"Lay down." I said.

"What?"'

"You heard me. Lay down."

"I usually don't sleep in that position."

"I don't care. Do you want to fall asleep or not?" Did I mention that I'm not exactly at my nicest when I don't sleep?

"Yes, but,"

"Lay down damnit!" I shouted and Ryuzaki's eyes widened a bit. He silently got onto the blankets. I took the last blanket and laid it on top of him.

"Now just relax. I promise I'll stay with you until you fall asleep." I grabbed a pillow and layed next to him. We were facing each other.

"Now what?" He asked sarcastically.

"Um, well. . . Oh, I've got it! My mother used to sing me her favorite song whenever I couldn't fall asleep. Do you want to hear it?" I asked.

"It can't hurt."

"Alright, here it goes," and I started to sing quietly in my dark voice.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise." I was within arms-reach of Ryuzaki and I felt so bad for him. I wanted it to work so bad. I reached out and started to stroke his dark hair. To my surprise it was much softer than I had expected. I continued as I sang.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

Blackbird fly blackbird fly

Into the light of the dark black night."

Suddenly Ryuzaki reached out a hand and gently touhced my cheek. His warm fingers communicated something that I cannot possibly put into words. It was grateful and pure, and I wanted it to stay forever. As I continued to sing his fingers followed my jaw line, then down my neck, up my shoulder, down my arm, and came to rest in the small of my back. He pulled me closer and my face touched his. I started to blush, still I continued.

Blackbird fly blackbird fly  
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise." As I finished, he moved his face so it was next to mine. I felt his lips touch my ear as he said good night.

"Good night Ryuzaki." And I fell asleep in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi guys! I love you guys and thank you so much to those of you who did review, but I have to say I'm seriously sick of people not reviewing! I don't care if it's a stupid review, just review. I'm holding the next chapter hostage until I get my ransom. Muahahaha!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.**

Chapter 5: Despair

Several days later. . .

"Hey Haruka, come look at this." Ryuzaki said, while sitting at his laptop. I slid my chair over to his as he moved the laptop so we could both see what he was looking at.

"This is Neil Martin. He's 22 years old and is currently attending a university near Cannes." He paused as I looked at the man on the screen. He had auburn colored hair and strong features, with a decent build. He was altogther good looking, but his eyes disturbed me. They were a piercing set of jade eyes which shone with a malicious intent. Just looking at a picture of him made me want to cringe wondering what he was thinking about with that sadistic smirk on his face.

"Everything in his past lines up with the assumptions you and I made about him having something against the incredibly wealthy. When he was eight years old his mother was working for a billionare in Cannes as a maid. One day while she was working someone took out a hit on her boss and she was killed for just being in the building. Police suspected she saw the killer and that's why she was shot, either way, the incident must have had a strong effect on Neil. He was put into foster care and shuffled from home to home, but managed to keep his grades up in Middle School. In High School he was recognized as a brilliant orator and won a scholarship to the college to which he is currently attending. He has now established a group that openly speaks against the wealthy and promotes a Robin Hood philosophy."

"Steal from the rich to give to the needy."

"Or even better, get rid of them. I want to investigate them a little more before I decide to put up serveillence on them." Ryuzaki finished.

"Good idea. We don't want them to do anything hasty." I said and looked at my feet. I knew he wasn't satisfied yet, but my gut told me his assumption was correct. I was a more than a little dissappointed in myself. I wanted to do something to help, I wanted to find some evidence, but mostly, I wanted to make Ryuzaki proud. _There's no chance of that now, _I thought glumly.

"Are you alright?" He asked me. I nodded but didn't look at him.

"You sure?" I turned as I noticed the concern in his voice and saw that his eyes were truly ernest. _He's worried about me? You're flattering yourself again! Focus._

"Yeah." I replied and gave him the best fake smile I could muster. He looked at me incredulously but eventually turned back to his computer.

I slid back to my spot and was about to type something when my cell phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my pocket and opened it. _Hmm, this is Amelia's mom's number. Why would she be calling me? Ah shit! I forgot to call her telling her where I was! She's probably calling to make sure I'm okay. _I answered the phone and was greeted by a quiet Mrs. Williams.

"Hello?"

"Haruka dear, is that you?" Her voice was weak, _it's probably just a bad signal. _

"Yes it's me. Hey, I'm sorry I didn't call sooner I've been busy-"

"It's about Amelia." She cut in.

"What happened?" I asked suddenly worried.

"She, she was in an accident."

"What! Is she alright?" While it was true I didn't get to see Amelia as much as I would have liked with my job at Wammy's, we were still close and had been friends since we were kids.

"She's dead."

DEAD. The word hit me like a ton of bricks. My eyes widened and the breath was knocked out of my chest. _This can't be happening. Not again. _

"I'm sorry dear. She was in a head-on collision with a truck. She died instantly."

"I understand." I said slowly trying to keep my composure. The last thing I wanted to do was break down in front of Ryuzaki. I closed the phone without another word and silently exited the room.

I took the elevator up to my room and slowly entered. When I did I screamed. I screamed as hard as I could for as long as possible. I was so confused I didn't even know what I was feeling. It is said that there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I was feeling all of them except acceptance at that moment.

_This isn't happening. . ._

_Damnit, stupid trucker!_

_Isn't there anything I can do to bring her back? _

_Oh God, I want to die. . ._

"FUCK!" I cried as I threw my cell phone, the bearer of the bad news, at the wall as hard as I could. Then phone shattered and fell into a million pieces. My knees felt weak and I collapsed and started sobbing. I screamed and cried so hard my chest hurt, my breath coming in quick gasps. I was slipping back into the state I had been in when I found out my parents had died.

**L's P.O.V.**

After I told Haruka about Neil Martin she looked a little sad but I decided not to pry. _She'll tell me when she's ready._ I knew she was lying about being alright, but I went back to work nonetheless.

When she slid back to her usual spot her cell phone rang. She took it out and started to explain why she hadn't been in touch, but seemed to be cut off by the person she was talking to. Something was wrong. She was shocked and wanted to know what had happened to 'her', who I assumed to be Amelia Williams. Her face went white as a sheet and her eyes widened as the person on the other line told her. _This is bad, _I thought wondering how she would react.

"I understand." She said and left the room without another word. _This is very bad._ Her reaction was an over-reaction in itself. Whatever had happened, it was so bad that she feared she would make a bad impression with her reaction. I was curious and wanted to make sure that she was alright so I took a look at the live feed from one of the CCTV cameras in her room. The room became filled with the sound of her screams and sobs as I saw her swear and throw her cell phone at the wall. Seeing her cry had a significant effect on me. Her pain was tearing me apart. I wanted her to stop, I wanted to comfort her, but I was glued to the screen, worried about what she might do if I took my eyes off of her for an instant. I didn't know what to do. She continued to cry for another twenty minutes, but eventually managed to make her way to the bathroom where she calmed down. I exhaled in relief, not knowing for how long I had held my breath.

I kept an eye on her and saw she was coming down. I closed the windows for the cameras and attempted to work when she came in.

"Is everything alright?" I asked as she walked up to my seat. I didn't actually think she would tell me but I had to try.

"Yes I'm fine." She paused, "Ryuzaki?"

"Yes?" I said and looked at her and was a bit shocked. On the outside she looked fine, but her eyes seemed different, they were glazed over and it seemed almost as if they were hollow.

"My friend Amelia Williams died yesterday, and I was wondering if it would be alright if I could leave for two days to attend her funeral." She said bluntly. _So that's what happened. Wait something's wrong here, she's not showing any emotion. She said it so simply, as if it happened years ago. This is so strange. Is she in shock?_

"I'm so sorry Haruka. Yes of course you can go." I honestly didn't want her to go in the state she was in, but I had no idea how she might react if I didn't let her go.

"Thank you." She turned and was about to return to her seat when I grabbed her wrist impusively, and immediately regreted it.

"Yes?" She said as she turned back to face me. _What do I say? Sorry your friend DIED, you want to talk about it? Like she'd ever go for that. _She hardly seemed in the mood for talking about it, or for doing anything else for that matter. I'd never been in a situation like this before. I sat there holding her wrist, feeling more and more awkward with each passing moment and felt myself blush slightly.

"If there's nothing else I'm going bed." She said suddenly interrupting my mental debate.

"Oh, yes, by all means." She looked at her wrist and I noticed I was still holding it. I quickly released her from my grasp, felling embarassed. She said nothing and left the room.

The next morning I silently escorted her to the car which Watari was going to take her in. She'd been behaving so strangely all morning. She still had that hollow stare and would only respond to me in one word answers. I knew it was normal to a certain extent, but I was still worried. I opened the door for her as she stepped into the car. She didn't even give me a second glance.

"Have a good trip Haruka." I managed to say before I closed the door. She turned to me and nodded. I closed the door and stepped away as the car drove off.

The next two days passed by uneventfully, though that doesn't mean they were easy to get through. Nothing seemed to bring me joy anymore. Even sweets seemed to loose their luster. I was unable to sleep since I saw her break down, and my mind wandered easily. The hardest part, though, was a feeling of emptiness. I couldn't shake it no matter how hard I tried. I asked Watari to stay in the room with me at all times in case I was just feeling a bit lonely, but it didn't help. Something was missing, and it was her. _Since when have I been so sentimental? _It became a nuisance for me. I didn't know why I was feeling this way and wished she could just come back and end this pathetic sentiment.

Finally the day of her arrival came. I was in good spirits that morning and was looking forward to actually being able to focus again. I was sitting at a table in the investigation room with some evidence in front of me when she came in.

"Hey Haruka, come here for a second." She walked over to the table and sat in a chair near it. I started explaining how another victim had been killed during the time she was gone.

"The family took it pretty hard. They did a press confrence yesterday and even offered a reward." I finished. Haruka was silent as she looked at the crime scene photos.

"I can imagine it must have been very difficult for them." I said.

"Like you would know." She muttered.

"Excuse me?" I asked, thinking I had heard wrong.

"You heard me." She said as she glared up at me from the photos. "How could someone like you possibly know what it's like to loose someone like that?" I stared at her in shock, not knowing what to say. She'd never been so blunt before. I looked at her eyes, and saw they were burning with anger.

"I don't know what it feels like."

"Exactly so stop assuming everything! You think you're so smart, but you're not. You'll never be able to really know what life is really like!" I was surprised by her irrationality, though part of me had to admit she was right. I would never be able to know what it would be like to lead a normal life.

"Haruka, I think you need to calm down a bit, you're shouting."

"So what?!"

"Haruka, please I'm worried about you."

"Ha! Worried about me! We both know you're lying."

"I'm not lying." I said sincerly.

"How can someone who doesn't have any feelings care about me?" She paused and shook her head. "You don't care about anyone Ryuzaki." Her words were a slap in the face, no I think I would have preferred it if she had slapped me. She got out of her chair so quickly it fell over. She ignored it and ran out of the room. I cried after her but my call was not heard.

**Haruka's P.O.V**

I ran. I don't even remember how I got to the roof, all I knew at the time was that I had to get away. I had to be anywhere but there. _How could I have said those things? He probably hates me now. I'm so sorry Ryuzaki. Damnit! I only cause pain to those around me. _I stood on the cold concrete roof and it started to rain. It was a light rain at first, but then it was if the world itself became angry with me. The rain came down in painful bullets, lighting coming dangerously near the building, but I didn't care. I was numb, physically and emotionally. I'd lost everything. My world had disappeared. I lay on the cold concrete and let the rain pour on me.

I was looking straight at the door by which I had come and it suddenly opened. Standing there, in a slouched position was Ryuzaki. I turned my head, too ashamed to look at him. He walked over to where I was and sat next to me. For a few minutes he didn't say anything, he just looked at me.

"It's all gone." I said finally deciding to break the silence.

"What is?"

"Everything. My world has disappeared. I have nothing left." I replied, still unable to look at him.

"Is that what you think?" I didn't say anything.

"Have you always had such a simple mind?" I gasped and looked back at him. He was no longer looking at me but staring off into space, his face twisted into a combination of frustration and confusion. _Fuck! I'm such an idiot! But he's just my employer, he can't care about me like that._ _Can he? _The more I looked at him the more I realized how much I must have hurt him. He didn't view himself as just my employer anymore. _How can I be so stupid?!_ I wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him as tightly as I could, not wanting to ever let him go. He slowly put his arms around me and held my rain soaked body against his chest.

Suddenly the numbness disappeared and it was as if all my emotions were released at once. I started to cry and my whole body shook, but still he held me. He stroked my rain soaked hair until I stopped crying and for those few minutes it was as if nothing else mattered. There was no pounding rain, no rumbling thunder, it was just me and him, and together we had shunned the world into oblivion.

"I think we should go back in before you get sick." Ryuzaki said when I stopped had stopped crying. I nodded and we went inside.

When we were inside he grabbed a couple of towels for us an handed one to me.

"I'm sorry." I said as I started to dry myself off. My body felt heavy as my wet clothes still clung to me.

"It's alright." He said and gently stroked my cheek.

"You forgive me?"

"Yes." He said as we walked back into the investigation room and I hugged him again.

**Sorry for not updating sooner, I knew what was going to happen I just didn't know how to write it. Review and I'll put up the next chapter! Thanx! ;D**


	6. Chapter 6

Hi guys! Thanks so much to all of you for reading my story. Before, I used to feel like I wasn't a very good writer, but seeing the reaction this story has gotten has really encouraged me. Thank you again, it means a lot. bows

Special thanks to: narutowolf, Mix Golden Pheonix, Gwen Donovan, and Queen of Disturbia and everyone else who reviewed. Thanks!

Sorry I took my time getting this one up, I'm starting on another story. I apolagize in advance, this is not one of my best chapters.

On with the story!

**As I'm sure you all know by now, I do not own Death Note.**

Chapter 6: Warmth

The next few weeks passed by peacefully and I helped Ryuzaki start surveilence on the group we had suspected. I had posed as a transfer student at their university for a week and found out more information on the group. I showed him some evidence which only made me more suspicious of them. While the group was meeting almost everyday, they almost never saw each other outside of the meetings. Not a glance in the hallway, not an email, not even a phone call. I also found out that it was almost impossible to gain admitance to their meetings without the entire group's consent. This behavior was peculiar to say the least, but we both knew we wouldn't be able to get anymore information without getting closer to them.

"I don't see why I can't at least try." I said in an annoyed tone and crossed my arms as I sat on a couch. Over the previous few weeks Ryuzaki and I became rather close. We both understood each other's behaviors and often had the habit of turning to each other with the same idea. I was no longer nervous around him, and I most certainly was not going to let my new idea die without a fight. I wanted to continue posing as the transfer student and eventually gain enterance into the group, but Ryuzaki strongly disagreed with me.

"No. It's too dangerous." He said firmly from the couch opposite mine.

"But Ryuzaki! We finally have some evidence on these guys, and we'll never be able to catch them if we don't get someone on the inside." I whined.

"I agree, but it won't be you."

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal of this. I've done undercover work before, and it was even your idea for me to pose as the transfer student in the first place."

"I don't care you're not doing this!" He said raising his voice. It startled me a bit, he never raised his voice, but still I continued.

"What happened to you? You've always been known for taking risks and doing whatever's neccessary to solve a case. I can do this, you know I can."

"No." His eyes were getting darker and his tone commanding, but there was no way I was going to follow such a foolish order.

**L's P.O.V.**

I fininshed going over some of the surveilence that Haruka had managed to gather over the course of a week and we disscussed what it could mean. We both came to the realization that there was a large chance that this group was responsible. Unfortunately we also realized that we wouldn't be able to get any closer to the group very easily. We were going to need someone on the inside, and with such a tight knit group, that was probably impossible. Then Haruka proposed something completely proposterous. She wanted to go undercover and try to infiltrate the group. She became insistant, but I assured her that it was much too dangerous.

"What happened to you? You've always been known for taking risks and doing whatever's neccessary to solve a case. I can do this, you know I can." Her words struck a chord. I was surprised, normally I wouldn't have given something like this a second thought, after all she had volunteered. She did have extensive expertise as an undercover operative, so why did it worry me so much. _Am I going soft?_

"No." I replied, _I don't care if she does have the expertice, I can't, no, I WON'T let her do this._

"Just try and stop me." She finished with those words and went to get off the couch. _You're not going anywhere._

**Haruka's P.O.V.**

"Just try and stop me." I finished and went to get up, but with lightning speed he got off his couch and pushed my shoulders into the back of the couch. Our faces were within inches of each other, and I saw a fiery passion in Ryuzaki's eyes that I had never seen before. His hand hand went from my shoulder to my neck and quickly brought my lips to his. I was in shock. _How dare he? Who the hell do you think you are? _I tried to push him back and resist the kiss, but stopped as his tounge began to pry into my mouth, and became limp. I was unable to break free, but not because of his grip. His kiss was passionate and intense, I supressed a moan and I began to kiss back. He held one hand on the back of my neck and slipped an arm behind my back, pulling me even closer. My arms went around his neck, one hand remaining limp, the other running through the back of his soft hair. His touch was magical and addicting. I felt a fire burning inside of me, burning brighter and brighter as our kiss went on.

This was not my first kiss, but it was different from the others. It was as if all the feelings we'd had and supressed came out at once in one fiery rush. It was explosive and I hoped it would go on forever.

Finally when I felt my lungs would burst from lack of oxygen, he pulled away.

"You're not going anywhere." He stated and seemed ready to claim me again if the occaison called for it.

"I promise." I said sincerely and felt my face go red. He smiled warmly, gave me a soft kiss on the cheek and walked out of the room. _What the hell? Ryuzaki! You can't just leave like that!_

I followed him out of the room and saw that he was standing at a table, pouring himself a cup of coffee. I snuck up behind him, looking at him with longing. I wanted him to hold me again, I wanted to feel that warmth. _Wait, what if he was just using my feelings against me to get what he wanted? No. There's no way. He can't deny that he felt something too, that he wanted to kiss me._

"Did you really think you were going to get away with that little stunt?" I whispered in his ear. He stopped.

"It's not nice to sneak up on people." He replied and turned to face me. I desperately tried to read his emotions, which was nearly impossible, in an effort to try discern if he had actually felt something.

"Don't try to sneak your way out of this one!" I was really getting worried that he had just faked it.

"You're shouting again."

"And you're getting on my nerves."

"Am I?" He asked slyly and gently brushed my bangs from my eyes. I blushed again he smiled. My heart began to race. _Is he faking or what? I can't tell!_

"Haruka," he paused, "you worry too much." He whispered into my ear. My eyes widened as I felt him kiss me again. This time was less intense, but still just as passionate. I closed my eyes and he pulled away and held me close to him. I didn't want the moment to end.

-Several Days Later-

I yawned as I walked into the investigation room early in the morning. The sun was starting to rise sending beams of golen light into the room. I saw Ryuzaki sitting on a couch having a cup of coffe.

"Ryuzaki." I said as I walked up to him.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to let you know I'll be stepping out for a minute." My words drew his full attention and he gave me a worried look.

"Now who's worrying too much?" I asked playfully. "I'm just going to the store," I saw the muscles in his face relax.

"Yep, and then I'm going to give you something very special." I said with a grin.

"Really?" He asked coyly.

"Yep." I giggled. "My super secret, best chocolate cake on the planet." He laughed. "Oh, you seem disappointed. What were you thinking you little pervert?" I asked and saw a light blush come to his cheeks.

"I'll be back soon." I bent down and kissed him, then walked to the door. I took a look back into the room and made eye contact with Ryuzaki again and smiled.

I walked to a small store near the builing and bought everything I would need for the cake. Eggs, milk, flour, and of course, the best chocolate I could afford. I turned the corner onto an abandoned street with two bags full of groceries. I hummed to myself as I made my way down the lonely street. Suddenly I stopped. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Someone was watching me. I was tempted to ignore the thought, but my experience as an FBI agent taught me that mistakes like that get people killed. I set down my groceries a few feet away from me, and five people, three men and two women, surrounded me.

"Can I help you?" I asked, keeping my eyes down and trying to buy time while I thought of a plan. I was very greatful I was wearing sneakers.

"Yeah, you made a mistake when you decided to interfere with things that don't concern you." _I know that voice._ I turned to see who it was and instantly recognized the man to be one of the group Ryuzaki and I were investigating. I had met him at the university. Two men charged at me and tried to land several punches, but all missed. I kicked one of them in the abdomen, my memories of self-defense training from the FBI returning easily. The man fell back into one of the women and both hit the ground with a loud thud. I swept the ground with my foot and the man closest to me fell as well. I landed a few more hits on my assailants and went to kick a woman who was coming at me, but in the proccess lost my balance and fell, twisting my ankle badly. I screamed in pain, and tried to stand on one foot. Suddenly the group around me took several steps back and I heard footsteps behind me.

"Bonjour mademoiselle." I froze and knew who it was without even having to turn around.

"Neil Martin, I presume."

"We're going to have a lot of fun, mon petit cheri." He said quietly in a heavy french accent as I felt a sudden pain in my neck. _A hypodermic needle? _My eyesight was failing me and I felt Martin catch me before I hit the ground.

**Ohhh! A cliffie! What will happen to Haruka? How will Ryuzaki react? Stay tuned for the next installment of Another Chance, coming soon! XD Review and you'll find out what happens.**


	7. Chapter 7

Hi guys! How'd you all like my little plot twist? Well the wait is over, sort of.

Thanx again to everyone who reviewed, namely: Mix Golden Phoenix, fmafangirl1415, Queen of Disturbia, SimonCatGirl and narutowolf.

**Let me state the obvious again by saying that I do not own Death Note or any of its characters.**

Without further ado, on with the story!

Chapter 7- Captive

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

"Just be patient. She'll wake up soon."

"You said that ten minutes ago."

"Yeah, and I'll keep saying it until you get it."

"Fine."

_Voices? I don't recognize any of them. Where am I? Is this a dream?_ Suddenly my memories of the attack flooded back into my mind. _Ah shit. Come on focus. There has to be a way out of this. I haven't opened my eyes yet, so they shouldn't have noticed that I'm conscious. _I wasn't fully aware of my surroundings yet, my mind was still hazy from the drug. Slowly I tried to move my fingers. _Full range of motion. Good._ Next I tried to move my hands, but couldn't. I realized they were tied together behind me. _Just great._ I tried to move my legs but they were tied to something. My mind was becoming clear and I realized I was tied to a chair with my hands tied behind my back. I slowly opened my eyes to see if I could look around. There wasn't much to see. I thought lifting my head would have immediately attracted their attention so all I was able to see was my legs and the grey floor. White light was filtering through a small window near the ceiling, shinning its blinding light on me. I slowly turned my head in an attempt to make a further assessment of my surroundings.

"She's awake." _Damnit. _I instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Niel Martin.

"Finally!" I heard footsteps approaching my chair and felt myself surrounded again.

"Welcome to our humble lodgings." Martin said from behind me. I said nothing.

"You're probably wondering how we found you out. Well my dear, we do have our sources, and apparently you never attended another university. You never were a transfer student, and now my sweet, we will teach you what happens to those who oppose progress. Don't bother trying to scream. No one will hear you." It was true, I couldn't hear anything from the outside, not even the sound of a car pass by. He paused and pulled my hair out of its ponytail, letting it fall into my face and stoked my hair with a rough hand. "You see the world views us as monsters. They condemn us, when in fact, they should give us praise. We are not monsters, we are liberators, working towards the goal of a better world. People cannot be abused if there is no one to supress them. We are simply _removing _obstacles. What do you think mademoiselle?"

"You bastard, I think the word 'monster' is too generous to describe you. There is no justification for what you did." I finished and glanced up at my captors.

"How unfortunate." Martin replied and quickly put a piece of duct tape over my mouth. I heard him walk away and open a door. "You may begin." With that the door closed.

"It's about time." I felt two men grab my upper arms tightly, one on each side, which brought me out of my slouched position, leaving me completely vulnerable to any attack. I braced myself for what I knew was coming. A brunette came closer to my chair. I was shocked. If I had seen her on the street I would not have thought her capable of killing anyone. She was a few inches shorter than me with average features. She looked rather plain, but her hazel eyes were ablaze with hate.

"How could you do this to us you bitch?!" She stuck me across the face with a hard slap.

"Neil is doing such good things for the world. How dare you try to stop that progress?!" This time she punched me on the other cheek. I felt my eyes water and knew that was going to leave a painful bruise. She struck me with the back of her hand on both sides of my face. Her hits landed directly on my previous injuries. I gasped at the pain, not wanting to giver her the satisfaction of seeing me cry. She put her hand up to hit me again but was interrupted by one of her friends.

"Don't you think you should give others a chance?" The voice came from the other woman in the group.

"Right, sorry." She came behind me, between the two men still holding my arms, and pulled my head back by my hair. I winced and saw a look of pleasure spread across her face.

"You really should have seen this coming." The second woman said. I tried to look at her, but my head was pulled back so far I couldn't get a good look. Without hesitation she landed a punch into my abdomen, knocking the wind out of me. I stuggled to catch my breath, but wasn't given the opportunity, because she hit me on my left side with a metallic object, most likely a pipe. My heart started to race. _Come on focus, there's gotta be a way out of this. _I tried moving my hands and feet again and my hope dimmed. I couldn't move. I couldn't escape. I knew they weren't going to kill me yet, but I had no idea how far they were going to go with beating me. I tried my best to disconnect from the situation, to ignore the pain as I started to cough up blood. I lost track of all the times I was hit and of how long they beat me. Thankfully I eventually lost consciousness, but not before getting several cuts from the rough edge of the pipe. I started to slip into the void of unconsciousness and thought of my promise.

**Flashback-**

_"That will be all." L finished all the while staring into my dark blue eyes. I froze and the moment seemed to go on for eternity. Finally I regained use of my legs and started for the door file in hand._

_When I reached the door I turned and looked at L, my eyes filled with determination, "Thank you, L, for the opportunity. I won't let you down. I promise." _

_-_

_I no longer know if I can keep that promise, but I have to try._

**L's P.O.V.**

I was starting to get uneasy. It had been nearly two hours since Haruka had left and she had not returned. I was dropping sugar cubes into my coffe, unaware that the cup was overflowing. I had managed to keep my cool this long, but I knew I couldn't put up this act any longer. _Enough is enough._

"Watari, please call Haruka." He dialed and when he didn't hand me the phone I knew something was wrong.

"She's not picking up." My mind immediately thought of the worst case scenario.

"Get the car Watari."

We drove a few blocks to the nearest store and I had Watari ask them if they had seen a woman resembling Haruka. While he was in the store I stepped out of the car and walked around the corner from the store. _If she did actually come to the store, then that means. . ._ _There! _Lying on the ground a few feet from me was a cell phone. Haruka's cell phone. I picked it up and saw that it had one missed call. I turned and saw two bags of groceries on the curb. My heart raced as I realized she'd been kidnapped, or worse. . . _No, I can't think about that! I have to believe she's still alive. I know she is, and I'll find her. They won't get away with this._

**Haruka's P.O.V.**

I slowly regained consciousness some time later. I had no idea how long I was out, but I knew they weren't finished with me yet. I realized I was no longer tied to a chair, but was lying on a small bed. My body was in an awkward position because my hands were still tied behind my back, and I noticed my feet were tied together as well. I tried to turn to my side but was instantly bombarded by pain. _Fuck! _Every inch of my body hurt, it even hurt to breathe. I took a look at the room and saw it was nearly bare. There was nothing on the other side of the room, but when I turned my head I saw there was a chair and small end table next to the bed with a bowl filled with water and towel on it. Before I could question this any further the door opened.

The person I wanted to see the least walked in, Niel Martin, carrying a large glass of water. He set the glass down on the and sat in the chair next to the bed.

"You must be thirsty, you have been here a while." He said suddenly. I stared at him as he came closer to the bed and ripped the duct tape off of my mouth. I winced in pain. He then picked up the glass and brought it to my face. At first, because I was laying down, he poured the liquid slowly, which allowed me to drink, then he suddenly dumped the contents of the glass onto my face. Water went into my nose and eyes and I started coughing, wishing I could wipe it off of my face.

"I'm sorry." he said in a sarcastic tone. He picked up the towel and roughly pushed the cloth into my skin, further aggitating my bruises. I quickly shut my eyes, blocking any tears. _He is NOT going to see me cry._

When he finished he came around and sat on the bed next to me. I glanced at him and saw that heartless smile had returned to his lips, and his eyes were gleaming with a look of triumph.

He gently brushed my face with his hand, then leaned over me and was a few inches away from me. His hand went from my face to my neck. He roughly grabbed it and started to squeeze. My eyes widened and I gasped for air. _No way! It's not gonna end like this! _I started to squirm in a futile effort to escape his grip, when he suddenly let go.

"Don't worry. I won't kill you, at least not yet, I've found a purpose for you." He quickly put his lips on mine and roughly kissed me. _Hell no! Get away from me you pervert! _I tried to get away, but I couldn't push him back, and he was no where near my legs so I couldn't kick him. I desperately thrashed about and started to panic, wondering if he wanted anything more than a kiss. Then he stopped abruptly and silently rose. He made his way to the door and looked back, gazing upon me as if he owned me, and left.

_I'm sorry Ryuzaki_, I thought as tears streamed down my face.

**L's P.O.V.**

As soon as we returned from the trip to the store I went to the investigation room. I verified with the university that Niel Martin and the other members of the group were not at school and knew without a doubt who was behind this. I started to search for anything which could lead me to their location, unfortunately they had left Haruka's cell phone, so I couldn't use GPS to track them down. I had not expected them to have such foresight.

I was getting more and more agitated with each second that passed. I couldn't rest until I knew for certain that she was safe, but I was getting no where. Their families all said they were going on vacation and they wouldn't be back for a while, but that they had no idea where they were. It also appeared that none of them had their cell phones with them, because when I attempted to use the GPS on their phones they all showed up at their residences.

I rose out of my chair in frustration and walked over to where the coffee pot was. I clenched my fists in anger. _This is all my fault. If I had solved this sooner we wouldn't have had to resort to her posing as the transfer student. If they hurt her. . . I can't take this anymore! _

"Damnit!" In a fit of anger I pushed everything off of the table in front of me. Cups fell to the floor and shattered, coffee saturated the carpet. My knuckles went white as I struggled to regain my composure. _No, I can't panic. If I'm calm I'll be able to find her faster. I just need focus. I can do this, it's not too late. I will find you Haruka. I promise. _

**Another cliffie, dun, dun, dun. Don't kill me! Will Ryuzaki find Haruka in time and what other abuses will she suffer? Stay tuned for the next installment of Another Chance. Review and you'll find out what happens! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys thanks for waiting! Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, I seriously never get tired of reading what you guys have to say, so Cross, SimonCatGirl, and Chaotic Dork, my love goes out to you. ;D

**Once again, I must admit the sad truth that I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. T.T**

Chapter 8- Reunion

After Niel left I felt exhausted so I drifted into fitful sleep. I couldn't relax. All I could see in my mind's eye was Niel's smug face peering down on me. I felt like I was suffocating and that I couldn't escape. My hope was dwindling, and I felt as if I would never see Ryuzaki again. To never feel his touch again, never feel his warm breath against my neck. The thought itself was depressing. _It's all my fault for getting caught like that. Fuck, I'm such an idiot._

I opened my eyes after my dreary sleep and found that I was now bound in yet another positon, and immediately panicked. My hands and were pulled above my head and tied to the headboard with thick ropes, while my feet were tied to the other end of the bed. I could only imagine one reason why I would be tied in such a position. I tried to pull my hands out of the ropes but I only succeeded in giving myself a burn from the friction.

I was about to try and get my feet free when the door opened. I froze, trying to look as if I hadn't tried anything. I saw with dismay that it was Niel again. I groaned inwardly as he walked over to the bed. _Damn, not again._

"Bon soir, mademoiselle." He said as he set his jacket on a chair and sat on the bed next to me. I looked away in disgust and tried to inch away a bit. "It's time," he paused, "that you serve me to your full potential." I gasped and he pinned me to the bed in an instant. He straddled me, his eyes filled with lust, and started to kiss my still tender neck. I screamed and tried to do something, anything, to stop him, but I couldn't. The ropes tying me to the bed gave me no slack so there wasn't enough of it for me to move my limbs.

"Get away from me you bastard!" My scream seemed to drive him on and he chuckled to himself. I found his touch revolting, his scent putrid. It meant nothing to me that he was good looking, for in my eyes, I had never met an uglier man. _You'll never be like him._ I closed my eyes as he started pull my shirt up and a tear fell out of the corner of my eye. _This is it._

**L's P.O.V.**

_This is it. _I finally found their hide-out. I had Watari alert the police, their forces were about to move in. They had been very precautious, but no information is completly secret. I had one of my sources look into Martin's past, and discovered that he had an alias. He had taken up the name of one his foster parents and bought property under that name. A warehouse in the outskirts of Cannes. I had Watari question several people who worked in the area and they all reported having seen a group of five or six people meeting there regularly. That was all the information I needed. Now finally after 36 long hours, we were getting Haruka back.

I was currently piloting a helicopter with Watari above the warehouse in question. My hands took to the controls naturally and I held the helicopter in a hovering position.

"Move in!" The call came via radio and I positioned a spotlight over the building. My heart raced, and I knew I would not be calm until I saw Haruka. _Hang in there, just a little longer._

**Haruka's P.O.V.**

I wanted to die. I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest and my breath came in quick gasps. Niel was about to reach his hands under my shirt when there was a noise heard in another part of the building. A look of concern spread across his face. He looked down at me, then got off the bed and I sighed in relief.

"I was hoping to have done more before this moment came. What a shame." Niel said with his back to me. He walked over to a chair where he had set down his coat and went through one of its pockets. "Unfortunately, you will not be part of my new world." He finished and pulled out a revolver. My eyes widened and I tried pulling on all of the ropes one last time. I was a sitting duck in that position.

"It's no use." Niel said, his voice devoid of emotion. "It's time to face your destiny." He lifted the gun and pointed it at my head. I stared up at the barrel. _Not yet! Please, not yet. _

Suddenly the door flew open and ten armed men dressed in black stormed in.

"Police!"

"Drop your weapon!" Niel slowly turned around, still pointing the gun at me.

"Not on your life." He responed. One of the men nodded and one of the others shot at the gun. Sparks flew as metal met metal, and Niel quickly dropped the revolver.

"Put your hands above your head!" Niel hurriedly reached behind his back and I saw that he had another gun tucked into the waist of his pants. He quickly pulled it out and shot the officer closest to him. He stumbled back a few feet before falling to his knees, blood driping down his arm. The other officers immediately opened fire and I saw Niel's body become riddled with bullets. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on the bed. _The nightmare is over, _I felt my mind slipping and I lost consciousness.

**L's P.O.V.**

_I accomplished my goal, so why do I still feel this way? _Haruka lay before me in a hospital bed. Her face was serene as she took regular breaths. My face hardened at the sight of her bruises. I had not expected her injuries to be so bad. She was very weak and the paramedics told me she probably fainted from shock before they arrived. All in all, she had a sprained ankle, a fractured rib and then a multitude of bruises on her arms, neck, face and abdomen. _How could they do this? How could I let this happen?_

I was sitting in a chair next to the bed. I put my head on my knees and closed my eyes, trying not to drown in my own guilt.

**Haruka's P.O.V.**

I opened my eyes and was greeted by a blinding white light. I quickly shut them, then slowly opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the light. At first I didn't move my head, I just looked at the ceiling. _That doesn't look familiar._ I slowly turned to my right and saw Ryuzaki sitting next to me, his head on his knees. I felt dazed. _Where am I?_

"R-Ryuzaki?" I asked weakly. He immediately picked his head up and looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and sadness. He quickly got up, walked over and sat next to me. He seemed so sad and I didn't know why.

"Where are we?"

"You're in the hospital." He responded quietly and leaned over stroke my hair. _The hospital? Well that would explain the bright lights, wait. . ._ My memories were instantly returned to me. My eyes widened and I gasped as I remembered everything. My capture, the beating, the abuse, and the death of Niel Martin. I started to panic again. _What if he isn't dead? Will they come after me again?_

"Haruka," Ryuzaki said, his dark voice pulling me out of those painful memories, "it's okay. They won't hurt you anymore. I promise." His hand went to my face and I winced in pain, though he looked like he was in more pain than I was.

"I'm so sorry!" He said quickly. "I guess I can't touch you yet." He finished sadly.

"I don't care." I grabbed his shirt, pulled him closer and kissed him. I had just been through hell, I was not about to be denied a kiss just because of some pain. God it did hurt though, it seemed that anywhere he touched there was a bruise, but still I continued. At first he seemed a little shocked but then he started to kiss back. How I missed his touch, his breath against my skin, the sweet taste of his mouth. It was pure bliss. He eventually pulled away and I caught my breath.

"I'm so sorry." He said quietly as he rested his forehead on my shoulder, his cheek touching mine. "This is all my fault. How could I have let this happen? If I had only solved the case sooner, this wouldn't have happened." His voice was so melancholic, then I felt something unexpected. My cheek suddenly felt wet, but they weren't my tears, they were his. I felt my own eyes beginning to water.

"R-Ryuzaki, please don't. I don't blame you," I paused and choked back my tears, "so please don't blame yourself. Neither of us could have done anything differently." He pulled away a bit so he could see my face. "What happened happened, and we can't do anything to change it." I smiled faintly and I saw his eyes lighten.

"You're right." He replied and gently kissed my forehead.

"So how long do I have to be here?" I asked. I hated hospitals and wanted to get out as soon as possible.

"The doctors said maybe tomorrow." I pouted a bit and Ryuzaki frowned.

"Well, I guess I can live with that, as long as the company's good." I said and smiled.

**Phew, finally, the suspense is over. Sorry this chapter took a little while, I wanted to make sure it felt realistic. Hope you guys liked it! Well now Haruka is safe, but how will their relationship change now that they're together? You guys know what to do, you want the next chapter, then you gotta review! XD Peace!**


	9. Chapter 9

Hi guys, I'm back! Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but you partially brought it upon yourselves. Okay so several reasons why I didn't update sooner: 1) I was really getting tired of my usual pace of putting at least one chapter up every four days. It totally wore me out, so I took a break. 2) My dad got several days off from work because of the holiday so I couldn't use my laptop very much. 3) What little time I did have was dedicated to editing this story. I didn't change the plot or anything, I just added things here and there for more detail, so it flows a lot better now. I especially like chapter 5 now, though you probably wouldn't notice what I changed. **4)** You know how many reviews I got for the last chapter? TWO!! What the heck? Come on, I got more reviews from chapter 2! SimonCatGirl and Queen of Disturbia thank you so much. Now as for the rest of you slackers, look I realize my story isn't AMAZING and that there are a lot of way better stories out there, but it's not like I'm not getting hits to my story. I got over 200 for the last chapter. If you read a chapter you might as well review don't you think? Please, I do put a lot of work into this so do me a favor and review. D: But I still love you all.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of it's characters.**

You get a lot more of L's P.O.V. this time around. I felt as if he wasn't being heard as much in the other chapters.

L: I agree.

Me: Shut up! I feel bad enough as it is!

L: Then you shouldn't have done it.

Me: But you're content with this chapter right?

L: Maybe.

Me: Ugh! I give up! -throws hands up in defeat-

Okay now that you've all been scolded (and that I've had my schizophrenic moment), on with the story! :D

Chapter 9- Beach

I was wheeled out of the hospital the following afternoon. I felt so relieved and finally at peace. I looked out the window as we drove back to the building and watched the city pass us by. We drove past an empty park with large trees, their leaves flowing gracefully in the soft breeze. At that moment I'd never seen anything more beautiful. Looking back I realize that must sound silly, but after having been tortured the sight of even the smallest thing brought me joy, because there was a time when I thought I would never again see anything like that. _That reminds me. . . _

"Ryuzaki?" I said turning to the man sitting next to me.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering," I paused, "how long was I gone exactly?" I said the last part quietly. I saw his eyes become dark again.

"36 hours and 21 minutes." He replied softly, and my eyes widened.

"You even know the minutes?" He nodded and I realized how worried he must have been. He had been thinking about me as much as I had been about him.

"I missed you." I said as I rested my head on his shoulder. He seemed surprised by this at first, then relaxed and held my hands in his.

"I missed you too." He replied just loud enough for me to hear.

We arrived soon afterward before the building that had been my home for the past few weeks. Watari came around and opened the door for us. Ryuzaki stepped out and helped me out of the car. I was leaning on Ryuzaki with one arm around his neck, waiting for him to go into the building but he wouldn't move. I looked at him and saw he was staring, eyes wide, at something in front of us. I turned my gaze in that direction and saw with horror what he was looking at. Stairs. About fifteen of them. I never paid attention to them before, apparantly neither had Ryuzaki, they used to seem so insignificant, now they seemed to be of mythic proportions. The doctor had given me some crutches but told me not to use them yet because of the injury I had recieved to my rib. _Crap, now what are we gonna do?_

**L's P.O.V.**

I sighed as I saw the stairs. I had Watari make several preparations for Haruka's arrival to make it easier for her, but I had completly over looked the stares. _It must have been from the fatigue. Well only one thing to do. _

"Bend your knees." I said to Haruka while still looking at the stairs.

"What?"

"Just do it."

"I don't see how that's going to help." She responded but obliged, and with one swift motion I bent down, put my arm behind her knees and picked her up. She gasped.

"R-Ryuzaki!" She shouted and put her arms around my neck to ensure she wouldn't fall. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Keep it down, you're gonna make a scene."

"I'm gonna make a scene? I'm not the one who's carrying someone as if. . . " Her voice trailed off and I saw blush slightly before looking away. I laughed and ascened the stairs, in spite of her protests.

**Haruka's P.O.V**

We were in the elevator heading to my room and Ryuzaki was still carrying me. _Ugh! I hate it when people fuss over me like this! Of all the ways we could have gotten in he had to carry me like. . . Like a bride. _I blushed and hoped Ryuzaki wouldn't notice. He did, and raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk present on his lips. _That's it! _

"Okay this is far enough, put me down." I said.

"Not yet."

"Ryuzaki." I replied in a threatening tone. I was really embarassed and felt self-conscious.

"Yes?" He said pleasantly.

"Put me down right now, or else."

"Or else what?" He asked playfully, his smirk growing.

"Or I swear to God I'll have Watari throw out every dessert in this building." I said gravely.

"Y-You wouldn't." He asked, eyes wide.

"Try me." I finished and glared at him, almost daring him disobey and see what I would do, but he didn't. He put me down and had me lean on him as I had earlier. I relished my victory as we stepped into my room. Ryuzaki helped me get on the bed. I asked him to get my nightgown and a robe out of the closet, because I was still in some clothes I had gotten from the hospital. After a minute he came out with the items in question and set them on the bed next to me. He gave me a light kiss on the cheek and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I changed and hobbled over to the door. I quietly opened the door and found Ryuzaki sitting on one of the couches in my 'living room'. He sat staring at nothing in particular.

_-_

_"Good night." I replied and rose out of my chair. I walked over to the door then turned around see Ryuzaki again. He was quickly typing something on his computer, his body bathed in a blue-ish light from the screen. What is it with this guy? I've never met anyone like him. He seems so strange, yet. . ._

_-_

_He seems so strange, yet so right, _I thought as Ryuzaki turned to face me.

**L's P.O.V.**

One Week Later-

Haruka had recovered quickly was finally able to walk on her own for short periods of time. She said she had a surprise for me, that she wanted to go somewhere, and that she wanted me to meet her outside the building at 9:00. I waited outside, the scent of the sea still lingering in the morning air. Birds flew overhead and came to rest in a tree across the street, chirping happily. It was a nice sight.

I head a noise behind me, turned and saw Haruka stepping out of the building. I'd never seen her look like this before. Whenever we were investigating she wore comfortable and slightly loose fitting clothes, I was not expecting the Haruka who stood before me. Her rich, dark chocolate brown hair was out of it's usual ponytail and fell around her shoulders, flowing in the morning breeze and ending half-way down her back. She wore an elegant dress which showed off her figure perfectly, done in a black and white pattern which came above the knee and had capped sleeves. An ocean blue belt was tied below her bust. She had a pair shoes the same color as her belt with a slight heel, some silver bracelets and a small black purse. _Wow,_ I thought and suddenly felt nervous.

She smiled when she saw me and walked over, I expected her to greet me, but she ended up staring at my feet.

"You're wearing shoes?" She asked and seemed mystified.

"You're wearing a dress?" I replied. She looked up and smiled warmly.

"I just thought I should look good for you." She said and I felt myself blush slightly. She giggled.

"So um, where are we going?" I asked while trying not to show how nervous I really was.

"You'll see." She said playfully and held my left arm.

"Lead the way."

Walking down the street with Haruka was both a pleasure and a nightmare, for it quickly became apparant that I was not the only one who saw her beauty. Men of all shapes, sizes and ages stopped whatever they were doing when she walked by. She, however, did not seem bothered by this and continued in her usual manner. It took all of my self-control to keep my emotions in check and not lash out at one of the gawking men. _Have they no shame? Some of them are old enough to be her father._ When it seemed I could no longer take it and my brain was going to burst she stopped.

"Don't worry about them." She said as she turned to face me. _Amazing, I didn't even say anything. _I looked away, not wanting to admit my feelings.

"I know a way we can get rid of them." She added and ran her fingers through my hair. I felt my pulse rise.

"You do?" I asked quietly. She didn't answer my question, at least not directly. She pulled me closer to her and started to kiss me. I was in shock and completely unsure of what to think, but I couldn't resist her and I began to kiss her back. I wrapped an arm around her small waist and pulled her closer. She kept one hand on my chest while the other went around my neck. The passion in our kiss was escalating and just when I had decided to kiss her neck she pulled away slightly. I stopped and caught my breath, somewhat disappointed. I didn't want to stop.

"See I told you I knew how to get rid of them." She whispered in my ear. I looked around and sure enough all the men who were looking at her previously had returned to their business.

"Now come on we're almost there."

We went to a grocery store as I later found out. I held the basket as Haruka placed items inside.

"What's all of this for?" I asked.

"Don't you remeber? I told you I was going to make you my special chocolate cake and I still plan on it."

"You don't have to."

"I know, but I want to." She finished and looked at me with her saphire blue eyes.

We walked out of the store and were about to head back when I decided it was my turn to surprise her. I told her to leave the groceries with the clerc and had her call Watari to have him pick them up.

"Ryuzaki, where are we going?" She asked as we walked to our destination.

"You'll see." I replied and smiled.

Five minutes later we arrived. I heard Haruka gasp when she saw what was before her. We were at the beach. It was early spring so the beach was practically deserted. She stared, her eyes as big as saucers. (A.N. as in the plate, not the UFO.) XD I walked ahead several feet and turned back.

"Are you coming?"

"You bet!" She took off her shoes and ran to catch up with me. She hugged me from behind and rested her chin on my shoulder.

I stared at the sparkling light blue water.

"How did you know I wanted to see the ocean?" She whispered.

"You were staring at it when we first came here. Why do you like it so much?"

"The last time I saw the ocean was with my parents, before they died. I promised myself I wouldn't set foot on another beach until I felt like I could move on." She paused, "This is the first time I've been at a beach in years." She finished quietly, and I suddenly felt that my shoulder was wet. _Great, I made her cry. _She released her grip and I turned around to face her.

"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have brought you here. I didn't-"

"Thank you." She interrupted, tears still running down her cheeks.

"What?"

"Weren't you listening? I said I promised I wouldn't set foot on another beach until I felt I could move on, and here I am." She hugged me again and I didn't know what to say. We stood like that, in silence for the longest time, until she stopped crying.

"You know, I came with you to try to pay you back for solving my parent's murder, but now I feel I owe you so much I don't know if I can ever pay you back." She said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Don't worry, you gave me a lot, so I think we're even." I replied and she smiled. "Come on, let's go back, I want to try this chocolate cake of yours."

**Was Ryuzaki cute in this chapter or what? Don't forget to review! Give me, um let's say five reviews and I'll be more than happy. XD 'Til next time, peace!**


	10. Chapter 10

Hi guys! Yes I'm back, and I hope you're all ready for the next chapter. Looking back at my last chapter I realized I typed it so fast I had several typos. One of them was in a really significant place, before the story started, so don't worry. I'm sorry if it offended anyone. The sentence was supposed to say that I know my story isn't amazing but I accidentally typed the word is instead of isn't. Once again, I'm really sorry. I'm usually not one for typos, so I'll make sure I don't make anymore.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, namely: Volital, Queen of Disturbia, wasawzki, and reikat. Thank you so much! XD Yes I am content.

**No I do not own Ryuzaki. Damnit. XP Or any other Death Note characters. Quit reminding me.**

On with the story!

Chapter 10 (oh, the big 1-0! XD)- Let Them Eat Cake

We stepped into the industrial sized kitchen, it was a less than inviting space, with it's stainless steel counters and stark white walls. _Oh well, beggers can't be choosers._ The groceries we bought were on the counter in front of us.

"You know we could just have Watari make this for us. I don't want you to strain yourself." Ryuzaki said as I went to the sink to wash my hands.

"Oh don't worry, I won't be doing this alone. You'll be helping me." I said cheerfully.

"I don't remember voulunteering." He muttered.

"Look this is a very complicated recipe and I need help, so if you ever want to taste this cake you'll help me."

"Okay, okay. I was going to help you anyway." He said and washed his hands.

"So where do we start?"

"Well I'll have you mix the dry ingrediants while I do the wet ingrediants, but first. . ." I said as I pulled out several large cookie sheets and placed them in the freezer.

"What was that for?" Ryuzaki asked.

"You'll see." I then took out several bowls of various sizes and set them on the island (A.N. I hope you all know what that is. It's a counter in the middle of the kitchen.) I went through all of the dry ingrediants and got the exact amounts and put them in smaller bowls. I had no idea how much baking experience Ryuzaki had and I didn't want any mistakes made.

"Okay, now put these all into the large bowl and mix it with this." I said handing him a whisk. He nodded and started putting the ingrediants together.

I went to the other side of the island and picked up a large bowl. I started cracking eggs while carefully separtating the egg whites and placing them in the bowl. Once I had the required amount of egg whites I picked up a whisk and started mixing. I could have used a mixer, but it was crucial that I get the egg whites to just the right consistancy. If I left them in the mixer I could forget about them and they would be ruined. I hummed quietly as I mixed and saw the egg whites quickly begin to get fluffy.

"I'm done." Ryuzaki called to me from across the island.

"Okay bring that over here." I said while staring at the egg whites and mixing rapidly. He walked around and set the bowl on the counter and stared in wonder at the egg whites.

"How did you do that?"

"You just mix them quickly which incorporates air which makes them look fluffy. There." I said as the egg whites started to peak.

"Perfect." I finished mixing the wet ingrediants and I mixed the wet ingrediants with the dry ones, leaving us with a brown batter, thanks to the cocoa.

I walked over to the cabinets and found the right baking pans and, after having sprayed them so the cakes wouldn't stick, started to carefully place the batter in the pans. The batter fit perfectly in four pans.

"I thought we were only making one cake." Ryuzaki asked as I had him place them in the oven.

"Layers my friend. Layers."

"Oh." He looked away seeming slightly embarassed, I smiled.

"See if you can find a pot somewhere. A big one." I said as I looked through some cupboards.

"Is this okay?" He asked and pulled out a stainless steel pot large enough to hold several quarts.

"Perfect." I said and placed the dirty bowls in the sink. I took the pot and filled it about a quarter of the way with water and then placed the bowl on top. A double-boiler. Then placed the pot on the stove.

"Bring the chocolate." I said to Ryuzaki over my shoulder and he brought it over.

"Now take it out of the wrappers and put it in the bowl." He nodded.

"Have you always been such a good baker?" He asked while taking the wrapper off a chocolate bar.

"God no!" I laughed, "My mother almost killed me after my first attempt to bake cookies. I nearly burned down the house." I looked at Ryuzaki who was looking at me incredulously. "No it's true! Everything went wrong. I put too much salt in the batter. A towel caught on fire because I left it on the stove. There was so much smoke in the kitchen we had to open all of the windows and doors for an hour. I made such a mess."

"Well you've certainly improved. I'm sure your mother would be proud." He said as he placed the last piece of chocolate in the bowl.

"She was. She always believed I would be a better cook than her one day. I remember the first time I made this cake for her, she wanted the recipe so bad! I never gave it to her though, and she was eventually alright with it. I never write it down."

"It must be good then." Ryuzaki said as he placed his arms around my waist and put his chin on my shoulder.

"I hope you like it." I replied as I mixed the melting chocolate. I turned off the stove and Ryuzaki let go of me. I had Ryuzaki make the frosting while I did my favorite part of the process. I took the cookie sheets I put in the freezer on the counter then took the melted chocolate and smeared it onto the back of the cookie sheets, making sure to keep an even coat. Then put them back in the freezer. I turned and saw Ryuzaki was giving me a questioning look.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." He smiled and returned to his work. As soon as the cakes were done I took them out of the oven and placed them on cooling racks.

**Ryuzaki's P.O.V.**

The odor the cakes gave was ridiculously addicting. I looked at the perfectly cooked cakes as they sat on their racks. _She won't notice if I have a little taste will she?_

"Don't even think about it." I'd been found out. She walked over to the bowl where I had mixed the frosting and pulled out the spoon I used, then handed it to me.

"If you want something sweet you can have this." Haruka said. I took the spoon and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into my arms. She was about to say something but I cut her off by kissing her passionately. Her arms went around my neck, bringing us closer. She moaned quietly as I left a trail of kisses down her neck and eventually came back up to her face. I felt her warm breath on my lips as we were centimeters from each other.

"There is something better than sweets." I whispered as I pulled away. She caught her breath and I saw she was slightly flushed. I chuckled as I stuck the spoon I was still holding in my mouth.

**Haruka's P.O.V.**

I regained my composure after having kissed Ryuzaki, and blushed just by thinking about it. I turned and noticed the cakes had finally cooled. I looked through one of the drawers and found what I was looking for. It was a pedistal which could rotate. I carefully stuck the first cake on the pedistal, trimming off an excess cake, and put some frosting on the top, then repeated the process for the next three cakes.

"Okay, now I really need your help." I said to Ryuzaki. He walked over to where I was and smiled.

"Just turn it slowly while I put the frosting on." He nodded and placed his hands on the pedistal. I grabbed a silicon spatula and started to ice the cake. I continued until it was perfectly smooth.

"Now comes the fun part." I said as I made my way to the freezer. I pulled out the cookie sheets and place them on the counter and pulled out a special knife. It's very thin and very sharp. It's a rectangular blade with the handle on top of the blade.

"Okay now just hold the tray, and make sure it doesn't move." He held the tray on both sides and I picked up the knife and scraped it along the tray. This caused the chocolate to come up in curls of frozen chocolate. I made my way across the tray and was about to continue until I felt Ryuzaki's lips brush against my ear. I have no idea whether or not he meant to do so, but I instantly froze. He noticed and whispered in my ear seductively in his dark voice.

"Is everything alright." I got chills and blushed at the same time. _I need to finish! If the chocolate melts I'll have to start over. _

"Y-Yes." I stuttered and continued scraping the chocolate.

"Are you sure?" He asked. I glared at him and tried my best to make it seem as if I was serious, though I doubt he bought it. _Ah, to hell with it._ I kissed him quickly, and thankfully he didn't take his hands off of the tray as he kissed me back. I wanted to continue and forget about the stupid cake, but I couldn't. _I promised. _I shook my head to clear my thoughts and continued with my work. _There'll be plenty of time for that after I finish._

After I scraped all of the chocolate I took the shavings in a bowl to the cake.

"Now all we have to do is cover the whole cake in these." I said and smiled. "But we have to do it quickly or the chocolate will get too warm and melt."

"Alright." He replied and we started placing our little chocolate curls on the cake.

"How did you ever come up with this idea?" Ryuzaki asked as we worked and chuckled to himself.

"Oh, it was a complete accident. I was cleaning out my freezer one day and there was a little bit of chocolate in the corner. I couldn't pick it off so I scraped it off and when I did it curled like this. I thought it was so cute and decided to try it on a larger scale." I replied.

"There. It's finished." I said as he placed the last curl on to the already extremely chocolate cake.

"Ready for a piece?" I asked.

"I was born ready." I laughed and cut a small slice for him and set it on a plate. I grabbed a fork and handed the plate to him. He smiled and took a bite. _Please like it._ His eyes instantly widened and he hurriedly took another bite. _I think he likes it, _I thought and laughed. When he finished he set down his plate and walked toward me. His eyes once again grew dark, and instead of kissing me, as I thought he would, he merely held me tightly.

**Ryuzaki's P.O.V.**

I held her in my arms, never wanting to let her go. _What would I have done if something had happened to her. If she had died. I don't think I could have been able to stand it. _

"I'm sorry." I said as I stroked her bare arm softly.

"For what?" She asked and looked at me with her dark blue eyes.

"I'll never let anything happen to you ever again." I went on as I pulled her close to me again. _I don't care how far I have to go. I don't care if it costs me my life. I'll protect her no matter what._

"Don't say that." She replied.

"What?" I pulled away so I could see her face.

"Don't get me wrong, it's really sweet and I undertand what you mean, but it's not realistic." She paused, "I'm human, and humans get hurt. That's just how it goes, that's how we grow. You can't stop me from experiencing things, and as long as I experience things I am bound to get hurt." I looked away not knowing what to say.

"If you want to make a promise, promise me you'll always be there for me. No matter what happens." I looked back at the woman who was still in my arms. The woman who had changed my life so much. The woman I would do anything for.

"I promise." She smiled warmly and kissed me. It was the best kiss I've ever had. It was sincere and full of hope. I cannot possibly explain to you with words what I epxerienced, all I know is that when she pulled away, I was no longer the same person. A promise sealed with a kiss.

_What is this feeling I have? It's more than liking, it's more than a craving. What is it? The feeling that if she was longer by my side the world would cease to exist. I may never understand it, yet it drives me on._

**Phew, that was kind of a longer chapter for me. Sorry if you guys got bored with some of my explinations about baking, but I felt that if I didn't explain the process you wouldn't understand the finished product. If you can't tell by now I used to be a Food Network nerd. Yes I did watch cooking shows, that reminds me. The recipe's not mine I saw it on t.v. Oh and I exaggerated about the amount of time it would take. In reality it would take much longer, but who wants to read about waiting for a cake to cool? If you don't feel a craving for chocolate cake right now I've failed as a writer. **

**Be sure to review cause next chapter's REALLY important! 'Til next time, peace!**


	11. Chapter 11

Hello again and thanks for coming to read this chapter. It's time for the moment of truth accompanied by some major drama! Dun, dun, dun! :O

Thank you to everyone who's been reading, and special thanks goes to: Katt Shelle, Addrinna, reikat, Queen of Disturbia and J for reviewing.

**Disclaimer: He's mine! He's mine! Muahahaha! Ryuzaki is mine! -splashed with cold water- He's not mine, -sniff- and neither are any other Death Note characters.**

Okay on with the story.

Chapter 11- Reflection

After Ryuzaki and I finished in the kitchen I excused myself and went ot my room. I was exhausted, and as much as I denied it, I knew I'd over-exerted myself. I closed the door silently and leaned against it, sighing silently. I closed my eyes, my body still tingling with excitement from our encounter. _Get ahold of yourself, there's no need to be so giddy, _I thought. I couldn't help feeling that way though. _What's the matter with me? He usually doesn't have this much of an effect on me. Maybe a shower will clear my head._

I went through my closet and picked out a dark blue long sleeve, v-neck sweater, a white cami to go underneath and a pair of jeans, and then walked into my bathroom. The hot water flowing along my curves did nothing to halt the emotions running through my head. I finished showering quickly and shut the water off with a sigh.

I stepped out of the shower cautiously, with that strange feeling still in my heart. I walked over to the mirror and wiped away some ofthe steam. _Am I really the same person,_ I thought as I stared at myself. _What is this, this indescribable emotion that is welling up inside of me? What's wrong with me? _I did my best to try and clear my thoughts as I dressed and left the bathroom. I put my hair up in a towel and lay on my back on the bed staring up at the cieling blankly. I closed my eyes slowly trying to make sense of this confusion. Suddenly, the tumultuous storm of emotions in my mind vanished, and all was quiet. _Why do I see his face when I close my eyes? Why does everything else disappear? Why do I still hear his voice whispering softly in my ear? Why do I still feel his touch? _I saw him, clearly, in my mind's eye, sitting in his crouched position, staring at me with his inescapable gaze. Ryuzaki.

_Why is this happening? _I sat up, taking my hair out of the towel and ran my fingers through my hair. I groaned in exasperation and rested my head in my hands. _The more I try to deny it the more trapped I feel. I try to run but I can't escape this feeling. I have to admit it, but how do I admit to feeling something when I don't even know what it is? All I know is that when I'm with him, when I look into his eyes, when I feel his breath on my skin, nothing else matters. Could this be. . . No it can't be. Can it?_

**L's P.O.V.**

I stood in the kitchen alone, leaning on one of the stainless steel counters, listening to the sound of water dripping from the faucet_. How long has it been? How long have I known her? She's changed a geat deal. She's no longer the same woman who walked into Watari's office on that stormy morning. The woman who was willing to drop everything out of a sense of obligation. No she's different now. She's experienced loss all over again, and stared it right in the face and moved on. She's no longer afraid._

_I wonder, have I changed as well? _I thought back to earlier this morning when Haruka and I walked to the store. _Why did the idea of other men looking at Haruka in that way bother me so? After all she is a young, beautiful woman. Could I have been jealous? No that's not possible, that would have to mean that I developed feelings for her. That's not possible. _I shook my head in an attempt to rid myself of the foolish thought.

_I still feel it, that strange feeling. I've trained myself over the years to dull my emotions, because in reality they are nothing but distractions, and distractions lead to mistakes. Mistakes lead to failures. I've seen many horrible things in my short life, and I've been able to deal with those emotions, those feelings. This is different. I feel like I'm constantly in a fog. I can't seem to focus on anything, except for. . . _

_"_Haruka." As her name left my lips I felt a my spine tingle, and my heart rate increase. _What is this? I've never been in such a situation before. I don't know what to do. These foreign emotions, the feeling that my heart is aching because I'm not in her presence, because she's not in my arms. Am I going insane? _

I shook my head again deciding to grab myself another piece of cake. _Hopefully this will help me clear my head. _I took the knife, and slid it through the dense layers easily, and finally laying the slice on a plate. I rummaged through one of the drawers until I found a fork and took a bite. Unfortunately the cake had the opposite effect to what I was hoping for. Each subtle flavor, as it wrapped itself around my tounge, reminded me of her in some way. Memories just a few moments old, flooded my mind. Her smiling face as she whisked the egg whites, when she lost patience with me and pretended to glare at me over the tray of frozen chocolate. Then just as quickly as the had appeared, my pleasant memories vanished. I was back, in the cold, sparse kitchen, staring at my slice of cake with one bite taken out of it, alone_. Alone. _Up until that one moment I never knew one word could strike so much fear into me. It never bothered me before that moment, that one seemingly insignificant moment. I quickly put down my plate and walked out of the room to search for some company.

**Haruka's P.O.V.**

I left my room without even bothering to put my hair up or dry it. I closed the door and ran for the elevator. _I can't take this anymore! I have to tell him. _The following sixty seconds in the elevator were some of the longest I've ever experienced. The anxiety was suffocating and my pulse began to rise. _Come on, come on! _Ding! _Finally! _

_I'll try the investigation room first. He's got to be in there. _I ran for the room with all my might and swiftly opened the door. I looked and to my relief saw Ryuzaki sitting on one of the couches in the room. He appeared to be in deep thought, but turned to me when he heard the door close. I must have looked horrible at that moment, with my disheveled hair and panting heavily, but still he smiled at me. I quickly regained my composure as I made my way over.

"Is something wrong?" He asked as I sat down next to him. I shook my head, while trying to avoid looking him in the eye.

I swallowed hard, _it's now or never. _"Um, Ryuzaki?"

"Yes?" He asked turning to face me and I turned to face him.

"Um, I don't know how to say this." I said and bit my lower lip, while still trying not to look at him directly. "This time that I've spent with you has been some of the best of my life." I paused again, "I don't know how to describe this, this burning feeling I get in my heart whenever I think of you." I said and looked him in the eye as I reached for his hand. He seemed surprised and said nothing. I felt my face go the go the brightest shade of red you can imagine, my heart still beating at an unbellievable rate. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love you, Ryuzaki." His eyes widened and he stared back at me. I smiled at him warmly, while still blushing. The moment seemed to go on for eternity, at least it did, until it came to a screeching halt.

"What? Y-You can't be serious." He said while staring at me in shock.

"What do you mean? I love you Ryuzaki." I replied quickly. _Please, God, this can't be happening, _I thought and my eyes filled with tears.

"I think you're mistaken. You can't possibly feel that for me." He said and got off the couch. I grabbed his sleeve before he could take another step.

"Please Ryuzaki. I love you, please believe me!" I shouted and tears streamed down my face.

"I can't believe that." He said and looked down at me, his eyes filled with shock. The way he stared down at me, it felt as if he were looking at someone with a horrible disease. He pulled his sleeve out of my grip and walked to the door.

"Ryuzaki! Ryuzaki! Please come back!" I shouted after him, but my cries were ignored and he left the room without another word. I collapsed onto the couch, and cried like I never have. Tears flowed readily out of my eyes, and it was as if they couldn't come out fast enough. My whole body was in pain. I think it would have been less painful had I been stabbed in the heart. Anything else but this. I felt like I was choking, and I gasped for air. Finally I lost all form of restraint and screamed again and again. My whole body shook, my mind was broken. _Oh God, I thoguht. . . But I love him! Fuck! This can't be happening. Oh God, I want to die. Please let me die._

**Another plot twist! Don't kill me! There's more to this than Haruka knows. What the hell is going on with Ryuzaki? Review and you'll find out. I think I'm gonna make you guys wait until Sunday for the next chapter. Once again, don't kill me! Love you guys! Later.**


	12. Revised chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own any Death Note characters

**Disclaimer: I don't own any Death Note characters.**

**Chapter 12- Past versus Present**

L's P.O.V

I stood outside the door to the investigation room, listening to Haruka sobbing inside. My heart ached, and I felt my own eyes water. I was so confused, my mind feeling as if it were focusing on nothing and everything at the same time. _How is this happening? She loves me? Is that possible? Do I love her?_

Suddenly I heard a voice clearly inside of my mind, part of a memory I had tired to erase.

"Foolish child. What makes you think anyone would ever love a creature like yourself?"

Not her voice again. I felt my knees grow weak and I fell to the floor. There it is again. That unmistakable, deafening sound of bells. I sat there for a long time, holding my head in my hands trying to make sense of this_. Is it actually possible?_ I got up after some time and walked outside the building to get some air.

The world seemed to go by in a flash while I stood still. Everything that had at one time seemed nice, the sun, the beach, none of it mattered now. The world was nothing but shades of gray.

"Get out of my sight you ugly brat!" Memories were breaking out of their bonds and began tormenting me again. I could almost see her face before me again. Her golden blond hair which flowed perfectly around her shoulders. Her body, which smelled of expensive perfume, her jade eyes peering down on me with disgust. Mother.

"You're useless. Why can't you be normal?" I shook my head violently trying to expel the painful memories, but I couldn't. I went back inside the building and boarded the elevator. My perception became increasingly blurred with every step I took, past and present mixed, and I felt as if I didn't belong in either. I stared at my reflection in the stainless steel interior of the elevator, and saw a much younger version of myself, looking up at me with apprehension. _There it is again_, I thought, with the deep sound of bells resonating in my mind. _What is this_? Memories flooded my mind again, a disapproving glare, a dark, locked room, a tombstone, and finally, the sound of bells. Ding! My memories faded as the elevator door opened, taking with it, my younger self. I stood, frozen, staring into the hallway, suddenly afraid to face Haruka again. _Where is she? Is she going to be alright? I have to know. _

Slowly, I stepped over the threshold.

I reached the door, and exhaled, not knowing what to expect. I placed my hand on the cold, chrome that was the handle, and quickly pulled. An exclamation, an object thrown at me, tears, I expected these things, but none of them happened. Haruka was not in the room, in fact the room was vacant.

The space, which had felt ordinary hours before, now felt enormous and intimidating. I drifted in, devoid of my soul, and gazed upon the familiar objects. At least, they were familiar, now everything seemed so foreign. I had selected everything that was in the building myself. Everything from the LCD screens to the coffee pot, yet at that moment, I felt as if I was seeing them for the first time through someone else's eyes. My mind filled with anxiety, another foreign emotion, as I turned on a laptop. I took another look at the CCTV cameras in Haruka's room. The room was so dark I had to switch to infrared in order to see anything. I sat in a chair and watched the scene before me unfold.

Haruka's P.O.V.

I was curled up in my bed, with blankets up to my neck, staring at the wall in front of me, sitting in darkness. I had closed the blinds and had draped several blankets over the window, and was sitting in the room with the lights off. I was not in the mood for light, for happiness. I was miserable, and I wanted to stay that way, because in my mind, there was no alternative. I could never return to that childish happiness I had once been able to possess. I would never be the same. Suddenly I heard a knock at the door.

"Go away!" I shouted, thinking it was Ryuzaki. Just thinking of his name felt vile.

"It's me, Watari, Miss." A muffled voice said. "May I come in?"

"I don't care." I replied and pulled a pillow over my head. The door opened and Watari stepped into my dark room.

"I thought you may be hungry later so I brought you something to eat." He said quietly and I heard the clatter of dishes as he placed them on my dresser. I said nothing, in fact I didn't even turn to look at him.

"I don't know what he did to you Miss, but Ryuzaki cares for you very much." He said the last part quietly. This was the last thing I wanted to hear. I never wanted to hear that name mentioned around me ever again. I hate him, that bastard.

"Get the fuck out!" I threw the blankets off of my body, in order to turn to shout and glared at Watari.

He nodded and left the room without another word. I threw my pillow at the closed door and it hit with an unsatisfying thump. I clenched my teeth as my pulse began to rise, in a futile attempt to hold back tears. I shut my eyes tight, but the tears still came out. _How could he do this? Who the hell does he think he is? Does he think he can use me like that? I hate him, I thought and punched the mattress as hard as I could. I did it again and again, my messy hair covering half of my face. I'll never forgive him._

L's P.O.V.

I stared at the images before me, with complete shock. I hadn't seen Haruka like this since, since her friend died, I thought as I put my thumb to my lower lip. I watched Haruka, hunched over, sobbing on her bed and felt the same pain in my heart and fear that I had felt when she her friend had died. I sat, frozen to my screen again, with a strong sense of deja vu, completely unsure of what to do. For the first time in my life, I hesitated.

Time seemed to crawl by and as I watched her lay in the darkness. A few minutes, then a few hours, then one day, then two, and nothing changed. My eyes ached from the strain I had put on them over the last 48 hours, but I still couldn't bring myself to rest. I couldn't look away. _What do I do? No matter what happens, nothing will work out. I never planned for this. I can't take my eyes off of her, yet I know I should go talk to her. I can't stand seeing her like this, but what do I say? Will she believe_

_me? Will she understand?_ The more I looked at her the more I realized she wouldn't. I sighed and dropped another sugar cube into the dark pool that was my coffee.

I heard the door open and knew it was Watari without even having to turn around. His nearly silent footsteps gave him away every time. He walked up to where I was sitting and stood behind me in silence for a few minutes.

"Ryuzaki." He said and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"What is it Watari?" I replied without pulling my eyes from the screen.

"I know it isn't my place to say this, but, she's a good woman." I looked up at him while he paused, his eyes cold, and distant. "Do something before you end up making a mistake that you'll regret for the rest of your life." He finished and looked me in the eye.

"But, I don't know what to do. What do I say?" I asked, looking into the eyes of my old companion.

"Tell her the truth. She'll understand," he said and smiled, "but be prepared, she's not in the best state of mind at the moment. She's very angry, she'll yell at you and may even hit you, but you have to take all of it if you expect her to listen. You must earn her respect again." I felt my mind becoming clear again. My doubts started to disappear. I felt revived and knew what I had to do. I remembered the promise I'd made in my mind two days ago.

-

_I don't care how far I have to go. I don't care if it costs me my life. I'll protect her no matter what._

-

_Haruka, I promised you so much that day. I said I would never let anything hurt you, and I ended up doing the most damage. Please forgive me. I don't want to spend the rest of my life without you, I can't, because I do love you._

**So how do you like it? I think it works much better now. Before the characters just didn't feel like themselves. Anyway, keep reading, all, okay not all, but some, will be revealed in the next chapter**.

**Not much to say, just read the chapter. Hope this clears everything up and that you all enjoy it.**


	13. revised chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note characters

**Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note characters.**

**Chapter 13- Confession**

L's P.O.V.

"If you plan on doing anything, you have to do it now." Watari said as I rose out of my chair, "She's asked for a suitcase." My pulse rose and fear engulfed my mind. That's why he told me those things, she's serious. I did remember the she had asked Watari something the last time he went to her room but she said it so quietly I couldn't hear it. I looked back at Watari, my eyes full of concern.

"I haven't taken it to her yet. I wanted you to know first, but I am going to take it to her right now."

"Yes that's fine."

Haruka's P.O.V.

Several minutes later

I was in my room, by my bed, folding my clothes and putting them into the suitcase Watari had given me. He was still in the room, by the door, watching me as I hurriedly folded my clothes. I wanted to be ready to go as soon as possible. I wanted to be far away from this place of misery, and from him.

"If you can't fit all of your clothes in one suitcase I'll be sure to ship the rest to you." Watari said as he opened the door.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry for yelling at you." I said without looking at him. I was such an idiot. It wasn't his fault.

"It's not a problem Miss. It was a pleasure working with you." I turned to face him but he had had already left. _At least now I'll be able to go back to my normal life. I can see Near again, and go back to my normal job. Everything will go back to how it used to be_. I paused halfway through folding a pair of pants, _I'll never fall in love again_.

L's P.O.V.

I waited in the elevator anxiously. All of the moments Haruka and I had spent together seemed to be running through my head at once. Every smile, every frown, every touch, every kiss, I remembered it all again. I'm so sorry Haruka. How could I have been so selfish? I'm such an idiot. The elevator stopped and the door opened. I quickly stepped out of it and bumped into Watari.

"I'm sorry Watari." I said hurriedly and made my way to Haruka's door, but felt him grab my arm quickly.

"Don't lose her. Good luck." He replied and released me. I nodded walked away.

I walked through her living room and came to her door. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Since we first met, everything has been coming to this moment. I have to do this, I have to, because a life without her would be unbearable. Please let me not be too late. I knocked on the door twice.

"Come in." Haruka's muffled voice replied. Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought. I walked into the darkened room and froze. Haruka was standing next to the bed, packing. She didn't turn to me, but continued folding shirts and stuffing them into a suitcase. The sight brought pain into my heart. I can do this.

"Yes?" She asked without turning from her work.

"Haruka." I replied and took a few steps to her. She froze for a moment, then continued putting clothes into her suitcase. "Haruka, please."

"What is it?" She answered coldly and I flinched.

"This is all a horrible misunderstanding. Please let me explain." I said and took another step to her.

"No, I think I understood you perfectly." She placed one last shirt in the suitcase and zipped it up swiftly.

"Haruka, I-" I took another step.

"Get out."

"Please, just-" I finally reached her and stroked her arm gently. She whipped around and grabbed my wrist roughly.

"Don't touch me." She nearly growled as she stared at me, her eyes ablaze with hostility.

"I'm sorry." I said simply. For a split second I thought I saw her eyes shine. Hope, perhaps? Then as soon as it appeared it was gone, and her eyes became hateful again.

"You bastard!" She shouted and smacked me hard across the face. She hit me with such force that I lost my balance and fell, and unfortunately for Haruka, who was still holding on to my wrist tightly, well she was dragged along with me to the floor. I landed hard on my back and Haruka fell on top of me. She groaned as she started to pull herself up but stopped and stared into my eyes. Her face was mere inches from mine, her legs brushing against mine. She was so close to me physically, yet I knew that I was, potentially, a few minutes from loosing her forever.

"What are you looking at?!" She shouted and punched me on the other cheek. _Note to self: never forget Haruka was an FBI agent_, I thought as I winced in pain.

"Haruka!" I shouted as she raised her arm again. I caught her wrist before she could land another blow. _So much for being easy_. If anyone but her had hit me, I would have returned the blow without a second thought, but she was different. Nevertheless, I was quickly loosing my patience.

"How could you do that?! How could you use me like that? How could you fucking do that?! I hate you!" She grabbed my shirt, pulling us even closer, and hit my chest with her clenched fist. "I believed you! I loved you! I still-" She stopped and I saw her eyes water.

"Fuck." She muttered under her breath. She looked down and hit me again half-heartedly. She let go of my shirt and I released her wrist, then she sat down and started to cry. Her shoulders heaved up and down slightly with each sob. I gazed at her, feeling more guilt at that moment than I'd ever felt in my entire life. I sat up cautiously, not wanting to do anything else to agitate her.

"Haruka." I said softly, still unsure of how to act. I slowly reached out to stroke her hair lightly, and to my surprise she did not resist when I ran my fingers through its silky texture. "I'm sorry." She slowly picked up her head and looked up at me. I forced myself to look her in the eye though I was uneasy.

"I'm so sorry. I was being selfish and only thinking of my feelings. I'm such an idiot." I paused and looked away for a moment and continued stroked her hair lightly. "I said I would protect you, and never let anything hurt you, but in the end I caused you the most pain. If you ever can, please forgive me." I finished and took my hand away.

"But, why did you say those things in the first place?"

"Let me explain."

"Why should I believe anything you say?" She glared at me and I felt her anger rising again.

_What do I say?_ Suddenly Watari's words popped into my mind again. "Tell her the truth. She'll understand." _Am I willing to confide in her? Can I put it all on the line? Can I let her into a part of my heart that is unknown even to myself? Yes, I think I can. I owe her that much_.

"I can't give you any proof that anything that I will tell you is true. If I was in your position, I don't think I could believe what I'm about to tell you, still I ask that you just give me one chance to explain." She said nothing but nodded. I sighed in relief.

"I haven't always been a detective you know," I started quietly, "before I ever solved a single crime I stood at Wammy's, as an orphan. But I wasn't always an orphan either.

"I don't remember much about my father, only that he was a very stern, business man. My mother on the other hand," I paused, "I remember plenty about her. After my father's death she inherited all of his estate, and used his money impulsively. On the outside she was a beautiful woman. She valued her appearance and her reputation more than anything else. On the inside, however, behind closed doors, she could be very cruel. . ."

– (Cue flashback! XD)

I remember it clearly. It happened on a warm August day. The weather was pleasant as the sun shone over the large estate that was once my home. The home that I lived in every day, yet still seemed strange, and somewhat menacing. The estate was massive, with its spiraling staircases, cobblestone paths, and mahogany paneled walls. Every corridor seemed the same. Dark, gloomy and lined with stern portraits of my ancestors.

I was never in any of those portraits, in fact my mother made sure I never had my picture taken. I once made the mistake of asking her why I wasn't in one of the pictures she had commissioned when Father was alive.

"Isn't it obvious?" She paused, "You're hideous." I was very young at the time, only about three years old. In my mind I had no choice but to believe her.

To her I was a menace. She was always disappointed with me. Nothing was ever good enough for her. She found everything about me repulsive, and took ever opportunity to tell me so. She always thought my behaviors and habits so odd that she rarely let me out of the house. It was very difficult for me. I was usually locked in my room all day with the curtains firmly drawn shut. My mother said she couldn't have anyone seeing me. At first I used to try to sneak a peek outside whenever she would have parties, but I quickly realized this only brought me more pain. Many of the people she invited had children and I could see them clearly, playing with each other out on the wide lawn. I soon secluded myself entirely in order to shield myself from further disappointment.

One morning, when my butler was feeling particularly generous I was allowed a few extra minutes for breakfast. I sat alone, stirring the milk in my bowl of cereal, dreading the day of isolation that lay ahead. Suddenly my mother walked into the dinning room, and while completely ignoring my presence, walked up to the mirror above the buffet. She was examining her flawless features and make-up. She adjusted her perfectly waved golden locks when I asked her if she loved me. I couldn't help myself. I rarely saw her, and I was truly curious. She looked at me through the mirror and scoffed,

'Foolish child, what makes you think anyone could ever love a creature like you?' I started to cry, which only made her more angry, 'You're useless. Why can't you be normal?' She left the room and went on a trip that day. There was an accident. She never came back." I paused and saw that Haruka was staring at me quizzically.

"After she died I was taken to Wammy's and I promised to prove her wrong. I vowed that I would be nothing like her, and my habits became set in stone. Then I promised myself I would never believe her words. I made that promise," I paused and looked down at the floor, "yet, her words never left me.

"This may sound foolish, but until this morning I never truly believed that anyone could possibly love me. I never thought anyone would be able to get past my flaws, my habits, my temperment. Surely everyone thought as my mother did, that I was strange. How could anyone possibly look past the way I sit or the way I hold my spoon to become my friend, let alone love me?

"I was a fool." I paused again and looked Haruka in the eye. "I forgot what I feel every time I'm near you. When I'm with you, there's no need for proof, or deductive reasoning. Everything just is. I made a horrible mistake by trying to analyze my feelings for you, and I hurt you badly in the process. I hope that one day you can forgive me, because if you can't," I paused again and continued looking in her saphire blue eyes and felt my pulse begin to rise, "I don't know how I can move on. I love you, Haruka." Her eyes welled up with tears again and tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"You do?" She asked, her voice barely audible.

"Very much." What she did next was very unexpected, her body relaxed and she smiled faintly. Her eyes, which were red from crying, became peaceful once again. At that moment, I'd never seen anyone look more beautiful. I put my hand behind her back and brought her close to me, and her arms slowly went around my torso. She held me tightly while resting her cheek on my chest.

"I'm sorry." I said once again. I don't care how many times I have to say it, as long as she's with me.

"Don't worry about it." She said, looking into my eyes again.

"Are you sure? I mean, you can take as long as you want. I know I hurt you badly."

"That's in the past." _I really don't deserve this_, I thought as her hand went around my neck. Slowly, she pulled me closer to her and our lips met. Our kiss was full of so many things, forgiveness, sympathy, understanding, and of course, the purest love one can ever hope to find. Whatever may lie ahead, I don't care what it is, all I know is that I want to face it with her.

Haruka's P.O.V.

I folded my clothes as quickly as possible and stuffed them into my already over-packed suitcase. It took all of my concentration to focus on the simple task. My heart still ached, and part of me still wanted to cry in the corner, but thankfully, my mind was now in control. _No, I can't stay here. The sooner I leave the better. For both of us._ Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." I called.

"Yes?" I heard the door open, and I assumed it was Watari. _Maybe he found me another suitcase, or maybe I can finally leave_. I heard a few footsteps behind me, then a dark voice which sent a shiver up my spine.

"Haruka." I froze for a few seconds. Hearing his voice again was bittersweet. On one hand, I felt the icy hatred in my heart start to melt, though at the same time I felt my blood boil. Focus. The sooner I get this over with the sooner I can leave. I said nothing and continued folding my clothes.

He tried to get my attention a few more times, but I kept my answers curt. I was quickly loosing my patience though, and I didn't know how much longer I could keep up this cool facade. Suddenly I felt Ryuzaki standing directly behind me_. Damnit. I was so focused on keeping my cool that I hadn't even noticed he had walked so far in. It's okay, just ignore him. I can get through this_. Then I felt the warm touch of his fingers brush my arm lightly. _That's it!_ I lost all form of self-control and turned around as quickly as I could, grabbing his wrist tightly.

"Don't touch me." I said authoritatively while glaring at him. _Who the hell does he think he is? Does he think I won't remember? Does his think those old tricks will still work?_

"I'm sorry." He replied quietly and stared back at me, his eyes were full of. . . _Sincerity? How is that possible? Maybe he really is sorry_. I paused and felt my heart become cold again. _Or maybe he thinks I'm a sucker. You aren't getting away with it!_

"You bastard!" I shouted and smacked him as hard as I could. Unfortunately I hit him a bit too strongly, because he lost his balance, and since I was still holding his wrist we both fell to the floor. I landed against his chest and slowly picked up my head. I tried to rid myself of the dizziness from falling so fast, but froze as I saw Ryuzaki's unforgettable eyes. There was a battle going on in my heart at that moment, and I was completely torn. Part of me wanted to forget everything and kiss him, while the other wanted him to rot in Hell. The angry side of me won and I punched Ryuzaki on the other cheek. I'll never forgive him. I raised my hand to strike him again but he caught my wrist.

"Haruka!" He shouted, his eyes full of desperation. _No, he's faking it. He's got to be faking it. I won't be fooled this time._

"How could you do that?! How could you use me like that? How could you fucking do that?! I hate you!" I grabbed his shirt and hit his chest with my clenched fist. "I believed you! I loved you! I still-" I wanted to hit him again, but my heart wasn't in it. My anger was surpassed by my heartache.

"Fuck." I muttered and looked down. I let go of his shirt and he released my wrist. I felt my eyes begin to water and I didn't even attempt to hold back my tears. Ryuzaki apologized and offered to explain why he had said those things to me. Once again a battle was going on in my heart.

_No I don't want to hear what he has to say, but I do at the same time._

_Maybe it will help me to understand._

_No there's no excuse for what he said. He used me and that's all there is to it._

_No, there's more to this than I know. I'll give him another chance._

When Ryuzaki told me about his past, told me about his mother and the abuse he suffered, everything started to make sense. As an employee of Wammy's I'd seen many children who were seen as strange and were rejected by their parents. Ryuzaki's was an extreme case. His mother from what I could tell was his total opposite. She was impulsive, while he was constantly second-guessing himself, she thought her image was paramount, while he put very little time into what he looked like. Though I was still angry with him at the time, I couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of pity, for him_. No child deserves to be told that they will never be loved. It all makes sense now. He hates to lose, because when he loses, he feels as if he isn't proving himself to her. All these years, her influence hasn't rubbed off of him. Subconsciously, he still believed her words._

Then he finally said it. After all the doubt, all the denial, he admitted he felt something for me, no, that he loved me. All of the pain I'd been through, all of the tears I'd cried, all of it was worth it when he said he loved me. I'd gladly go through it all again, just to hear those three simple words. Just to know my feelings were mutual, to know I wasn't insane, to know that I could have someone who I could share these feelings with for a long time, that was my reward.

I forgave him. It was probably a bit soon, and I could have gone on harboring my anger, but I chose not to. The truth is after he said all of those things to me I no longer felt any frustration or anger. All of it was drained from me. I felt as if I could be myself again. There was no reason to pretend to be angry. He was the man I loved, the secretive man who opened up to me in a way that I don't think he ever had before. _I love him, in spite of everything we've been through, in spite of the pain he's caused me, in spite of his habits. None of it matters to me, as long as I get to be with him._


	14. AN Please Read!

**Hi just wanted to write a quick Author's Note. First off, my story is NOT over yet. I still have one chapter left, so don't forget about me yet! **

**Secondly, I don't know when I'll get the next chapter out, because I seriously hate chapters 12 and 13 right now. I'm gonna go back and probably make some significant changes. I put out another AN when I release the revised chapters. I'm really sorry about those chapters. I was just so afraid that I wasn't going to be able to release them in time so I typed them as fast as I could but ended up with complete shit. Sorry again. I know you guys told me it was okay, but I know I can do better. The characters just didn't feel like themselves in those chapters. Don't worry I'll fix it though.**


	15. Sorry!

I am soooooo sorry you guys! The last AN I put up was not accurate at all. I can't apologize enough. Please, I'm begging you to read the rest of my now completed story. I revised chapters 12 and 13 and chapter 14 is up. Please read them!


	16. Chapter 14

This is it people

**This is it people. The end. The last chapter. It's been so much fun to write this story and I want to thank everyone who read, reviewed and put my story either on the fav or watch list. It really means a lot, because after all this is my first fan fiction. Sorry for the delay on this chapter and the revised versions of the last two. I don't have internet at my house anymore so I have to go to the library to post stuff. Once again thank you for waiting, and for reading. You all gave me a gift that I can never pay back.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any Death Note characters.**

**Chapter 14- Decisions**

Several days later

I stood on the roof, early in the morning as the sun was starting to rise. My hair whipped around my face slightly with the cool morning breeze. I watched as the sun cast its refreshing rays upon the coastal city. This city which meant so many things to me. My city of new beginnings. My city of joy. My city of pain. My city of love.

I heard a noise and turned to see Ryuzaki opening the door to the roof and walking towards me. I smiled as he came and stood next to me, gazing out at the cerulean ocean. We stood like that in silence for a minute before he broke the silence with his velvety voice.

"Haruka." He said and turned to me, his eyes full of concern. "I need to talk to you."

"What's wrong?" I replied and looked him in the eye. He stroked my cheek gently then took my hands in his. I was starting to get nervous. I had noticed that over the last day or so he'd gotten a little serious and less talkative_. Did I do something wrong?_

"It's time for you to make a choice." He paused. "You have to decide how you want to live the rest of your life. I'll be leaving this city soon, and I would really like you to come with me." He paused again and looked at the ground. "I know I'm asking for a lot, but I want you to stay with me." He looked up at me with his penetrating eyes again. "Forever." I was shocked. I hadn't actually thought to the future recently. I was living one day at a time. _Can I do it?_ "It won't be easy." He continued, "my schedule is hectic, and I never stay in one place for very long. I can't give you the picturesque home with a yard and a white picket fence. That's not the life I lead. Once again, I know I'm asking for a lot, but-" I silenced him by placing my index finger on his lips.

"Have you always had such a simple mind?" I said and his eyes widened in shock. "Do you honestly think I can live without you?" His face relaxed and his eyes were full of hope. "I'll go with you anywhere." I finished and took my hand away from his lips. He smiled and hugged me tightly.

"Thank you." He whispered in my ear. I giggled.

"There's something else too." He said and pulled away from me. He looked at me again, though this time he looked even more serious than last time. I noticed he fidgeted a bit and that a slight blush graced his cheeks. What's going on? Once again he took my hands in his and took a deep breath before starting.

"I-I have so little to offer you. I'm nowhere near perfect. In fact sometimes I think you deserve better." he said and looked away.

"Don't say that. Love isn't about perfection. Love is about caring for someone in spite of their faults. Besides, who's better than you?" I replied and touched his face gently with my hand. He smiled faintly.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you choose this path you'll never be able to lead a normal life. I know this may be a bit soon, but I want you to have something." He said and pulled a small blue box tied with a black satin ribbon out of his pocket. _Is that. . . Is he. . . No way._

"There are so many things I can't give you. I can never give you a romantic engagement. I can never give you a wedding, or a peaceful honeymoon, but if you'll accept it, I would like you to have this." He finished and held the box out for me to take. I looked up at him and then at the box and felt my eyes begin to water.

"I love you Haruka." I smiled as big as I could as I felt the tears fall from my eyes. I jumped into his arms and held him tightly, taking in everything about him at that moment. His warm touch, his sweet scent, the softness of his hair, all of it was permanently implanted into my brain. We were so close I could feel his heartbeat as it struck regularly in his chest.

"Thank you Ryuzaki." I whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

"It's Lawliet, actually." He replied softly. I gasped and pulled away to look at him. If I still had any doubts about his feelings, they all vanished at that moment. He told me the one thing no one knew. It was the ultimate sign of trust for him. He told me his name.

"Lawliet, huh?" I said and smiled. "L for short."

"But that's-"

"I know, I know. Only in private." I replied and slipped my arms around his neck. Our lips touched and we kissed. I cannot possibly explain to you what it felt like. What I felt in my mind, and in my body. Electrifying, explosive, magical, these words don't even come close to what I felt. He held me tighter and our tongues brushed against each other, and once again, everything else vanished. _Is it possible to love someone so much? _I felt a heat inside of my chest, whether it was from the passion of the kiss in my heart, or from the lack of oxygen in my lungs, I don't know, but we went on until I felt my knees grow weak. He pulled away slowly, but stayed close enough that our lips still touched.

"Don't you at least want to see what I got you?" He whispered.

"I'm sorry, I completely forgot." I replied and pulled away a bit more. He smiled and his onyx eyes seemed to sparkle as he handed me the box. I pulled on one end of the ribbon and it slipped out of its knot. I took a deep breath and opened the box. I gasped as I saw the contents of the box. Inside, laying on a black velvet cushion, was a ring. _Oh my God._ I shone in the morning light and I instantly identified it as platinum. Inlaid in the ring was a single row of small white diamonds running all the way around the ring. I picked up the ring and saw that it was on a fine platinum chain. _Wow. It may be simple, but I think it's beautiful._ I took a closer look at the ring and noticed something engraved on the inside. A simple date. March 12, 2005.

"Is this-"

"It's the day we met." L replied and smiled faintly. "I'm sorry. I know it's simple. I couldn't get you something more adorned."

"No this is perfect. It looks really expensive anyway." In truth, the whole arrangement seemed perfect for me. I honestly don't like weddings and I never have. It's just another excuse to flash you wealth in other's faces. As for the ring, I thought it was perfect. While it may not have had a ten carat diamond it was still very well crafted, and the diamonds it was inlaid with were the highest quality.

"Money wasn't the object, it's just that if you come with me, many things will change. The person once known as Haruka Takahashi will cease to exist. You'll take up an alias in case you'll ever have to go in public."

"I understand." I replied. "If anyone saw the ring if it looked like an ordinary wedding ring they would assume that I'm married and that could be problematic." I replied and looked down at the ring in my hand.

"Exactly. So you'll accept it?" L asked and stepped closer to me.

"Of course." I kissed him softly while holding the ring gingerly in my hand.

"Here, let me help you put it on." L said as we pulled away. He came behind me and held the open necklace in front of me. I pulled my hair out of the way while he closed it. When he was done the ring dropped a few inches and the cool metal came to rest against my skin. I felt L slip his hands around my waist and kiss my neck lightly and we stared out at the golden coast. The morning air getting warmer with every passing second.

"So when do we leave?" I asked while still gazing off into the distance.

"Soon." L replied quietly.

"I can't wait." _The future may be difficult, and I have no idea what to expect, but as long as I'm with him I know it will be a great adventure._

-Fin-

**It's over. Man I have such a weird mix of emotions right now. I'm really happy it's done and that I can move on to other stuff, but I'm sad too. I don't want this story to end yet, but fear not! There is hope. Drum roll please! Okay if you didn't figure it out by now, there IS going to be a sequel. XD I'm so excited! O/O The next story will be called Trials and will be another prequel to the actual Death Note series. I know, kinda lame. I am planning on a story during the actual Death Note series, but I want L and Haruka's relationship to ripen a bit more. I also want to write about L's past a bit more. But don't worry, it'll be great and seriously action packed. I would give you a release date, but I have no idea when I'll be able to put out the first chapter. It all depends on how much time and inspiration I have. I'm hoping to get it out before school starts again though, so watch for it! But since you've all been such good readers, I'll include the prologue at the end of this.**

**As a random side note, how'd you like the ring? I thought it perfectly suited both of their tastes. L's because it's expensive but not flashy, and Hauka's because it's simple but still has detail. I'm sorry, no wedding, for multiple reasons. Reason number 1- Think of this logically, L cannot, and I repeat cannot, have a wedding. A wedding requires papers. It's official. You need witnesses and, more importantly NAMES. Reason number 2- If they did have a wedding it would be pointless. I mean, come on, who would go? Both of their families are dead. Reason number 3- I can't picture L in a suit. It just doesn't work. XP**

**I'm happy L's gonna be called L now. Things were getting complicated because I was calling L Ryuzaki so much in my personal life and all my friends were confused as to why I was calling him Ryuzaki and not L. That's not why I had him say his name though, I really did want him to show that he trusted her. And I'm sorry for those of you who didn't know his name. I was going to put a spoiler warning on it, but oh well. It's not like I gave away the plot or anything. XP**

**Anyway, I have to stop. I have to admit that the story's finally over. Once again, thank you for everything, leave a review if you want. Love you all. Peace.**

**Oh, here's the prologue, (and by prologue, I mean two paragraphs. Sorry, I know it's short, but it's just supposed to wet your appetite for the rest of my story.) Remember the next story's called Trials, by me, Cordis Fiere so don't forget!**

**Alright, here it goes. Are you excited? Well you better be! Hope you like it!**

**2nd disclaimer- Just in case. I don't own any Death Note characters.**

Prologue-

My name was Haruka Takahashi. I was an only child and was raised by my loving parents in England. I was the youngest person ever admitted into the FBI, at age 16. At age 18 I started working at an orphanage for the 'gifted' called Wammy's shortly after my parent's murder. I worked there until age 20. Thus, was the life of Haruka Takahashi. The woman I used to be. The woman I am no longer. All trace of a woman called Haruka Takahashi has been disposed of. That woman no longer exists.

I am now known as Rei Saitou, a woman with no past, and a questionable future. I'm now invisible, an expert at working in the shadows. I'm a woman you would suspect nothing of, if I passed you on the street. I am the dark shadow in the corner of the room. I am the person you ignore as you take your seat in the subway. When you actually bother to notice, I appear to be a dull person, someone who isn't worth much value, when in reality, I've helped solve some of the most difficult crimes in history.

Can you tell intros are some of my favorite things to write? LOL. Anyway, like I said, don't know how long you'll have to wait for the actual first chapter, but watch for it please! I hope it will live up to your expectations.


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